Boarding Aswan

The temples glowed in the soft light at sunset. Photo by Ron Guay.

This 15-day tour shows you the best of Cairo, as well as the Nile’s other great cities: Luxor, Thebes, Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Aswan on a four-day Nile cruise. Includes a day break on the beach in Sharm at the end of the tour.

DAY 1 – NEW YORK – JFK /CAIRO – Every Thursday – Weekly – Year Round
Your comfortable wide-body jet departs the USA for Cairo. For most West Coast cities, please note the “see add on air fare” listed below. West coast customers do not need to fly via NYC.

DAY 2 – CAIRO Friday
Our local Cairo rep. greets you and escorts you through the excitement and hubbub of the Heliopolis area and onward to your hotel. Sample hotels (or similar): Deluxe: Hilton, Sheraton, J. W. Marriott or similar. First: Shepheard’s, Oasis, Novotel.

Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport. VIP Arrival Hall At Cairo Airport, no photos required.
Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 months beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. meets with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports, then you claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.

DAY 3 – CAIRO- GIZA -Saturday (BL)
Our full-day tour of the great metropolis includes the most spellbinding sights: the Pyramids at Giza, the mighty Sphinx, The Mighty Pharaoh Cheops own Royal Yacht Museum, the treasure-filled Egyptian Museum with the Mummies Pavillion and King Tut’s Gold Treasure Pavillion included. Lunch is included at the Mena House We return to Giza by sunset for the Sound & Light show, you may wish to bring a jacket with you. Dinner is included back at the hotel.

DAY 4 – ALEXANDRIA – Wadi Natrun Monastery Sunday (BLD)
Today, we’ll get to known Alexandria in depth, as we visit the Museum, the Roman Amphitheater, the Koum El Shougafa Tombs, and the fortress of Kayet Bey. After lunch in an Alexandrine restaurant, we’ll make a brief stop at the new Alexandria Library before we travel to Cairo through the Western Desert to stop at Wadi El Natroun monastery, where early Coptic Christians retreated to escape Roman persecution in the 4th century AD. The Egyptian Pope of Alexandria is always chosen from the Monks of wadi El Natroun. Reach Cairo early evening where dinner awaits you at the hotel.

DAY 5 – CAIRO – Ottoman Cairo, Home Hosted Dinner – Monday (BLD)
We continue our explorations with a half-day tour through medieval Khan el-Khalili, the bazaar district, to admire the ancient streets, houses and mosques. We tour as well the Caravanserai of Wekalet El Ghouri, Beit El Kritlya /Gayer Anderson old Ottoman Houses (Built 15th century). The afternoon is devoted to: the former Royal palace of Abdeen & Manial Palace, the Palace of Egypt’s last Crown Prince.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals: This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo! You’ll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you’ll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they’re sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you’ll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, if you prefer, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions by letting us know your preferences. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town).

DAY 6 – Cairo – Aswan Abu Simbel (or Luxor) Tuesday (BL)
We take a flight to Aswan and after a brief stop your flight continues to Abu Simbel, where your private air-conditioned vehicle awaits you and your private guide. In the larger temple, colossal figures of Ramses are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters. The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. We explore these fine temple, admiring their ancient aura and artistry, after which retire to a comfortable hotel for refreshments. Just as planeloads of visitors arrive to throng the temples we fly back to Aswan, arriving in time for a late lunch. For guests interested, please join us on a complimentary short camel ride to a nearby Nubian village for tea with the locals. Deluxe: Aswan Movenpick or the Cataract Hotel. For Nile View Room at the Cataract please add: $ 150 per person in double. For First class: Basma Hotel or similar

DAY 7 – Board your Nile Cruise – Wednesday (BLD)
After breakfast we check out of our hotel, followed by visit to the Nubian Museum, and on to board your the Nile Cruise: Deluxe M/S Lady Diana, M/S Monaco or similar, first class:M/S Nile Dream, M/S Ruby or similar, complimentary welcome fruit basket. After lunch on board we head out to tour Aswan Dams, enjoy a Felucca sailing among the Nile rocky islands, followed by a trip by motor launch to the Island temple of Philae, dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS.

DAY 8 – Kom Ombo – EDFU – On Board Your Nile Cruise – Thursday (BLD)
We sail very early in the morning, off to Kom Ombo to explore the twin temples of Haroeris, the sun god, and Sobek, the crocodile god, at Kom Ombo, then re board our ship for the voyage north to Edfu, where we board horse-drawn carriages for the short ride through the town to the stupendous Temple of Horus, the best preserved temple on the Nile. Returning to our ship, we set sail for Luxor. In the evening there’s a galabia party. Complimentary galabya will be delivered to your cabin. If you’ve tried our flowing Egyptian garment (the galabya), tonight’s the night to try it on!

DAY 9 – Valley of the Kings and more – On Board Your Nile Cruise – Friday (BLD)
After breakfast we tour the Valley of the Kings including King Tut’s Tomb and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari. Followed by the Colossi of Memnon, the Ramesseum and Medinet Habu, returning to our ship for lunch. The afternoon is for Deir el Medina the Ancient Workers Village, where the first known “Sit-down” Strike against the Pharaoh took place, it’s said that the “Palace” did back down and made good on the back pay, in sesame oil! Deir El Medinah is on Luxor’s west bank you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers’ settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs. Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. You’ll be back on board in time for tea. Following lunch aboard, we are off to the stupendous Great Temple of Amon at Karnak and the smaller – but still immense – Temple of Luxor. In the evening your guide will call on you for a horse drawn carriage ride of Luxor town and the local scene, then head to Karnak Temples for an evening Sound & Light show, (a jacket is a must).

DAY 10 – Disembarkation – Luxor / Sharm El Sheikh – Saturday (BD)
After breakfast, check-out and off to the airport and fly to Sharm El Sheikh. Transfers are always on a private basis. Hotels (or similar): Deluxe: Hyatt. Renaissance Sonesta. Savoy. Rotana. Marriott. First: Hilton. Novotel or similar. Dinner is included at the hotel tonight.

DAY 11- Sharm El Sheikh – Sunday (BD)
Breakfast is always included daily. Relax! These are your days to absorb all that you’ve seen and experienced so far, not to mention the bright Egyptian sun and sparkling Red Sea. Evening Dinner with the Bedouins on the edge of the Sahara, with Bedouin Music.

DAY 12- SHARM EL SHEIK – Monday (BD)
AAAH, another full day at leisure, enjoy Sharm El Sheikh as you wish, Sunset half an hour camel caravan or horseback ride along the beach or into the Sahara. Dinner is included at a charming local restaurant.

DAY 13 – MOUNT SINAI – St. CATHERINE Monastery – Tuesday (BLD)
Relax! This is one more day in “Paradise”, enjoy the beach the Egyptian sun and maybe fishing, snorkeling or diving in the Red Sea. Or join us on a complimentary tour to Mount Sinai then in the cool before sunrise, we drive into the wilderness of Sinai, through which Moses led his people to the Promised Land. Our goal is the Monastery of St. Catherine, built on the site of the burning bush at the base of Mount Sinai. We tour the monastery, rich in history,icons and sacred paintings, returning to Sharm late in the evening. You must be in good physical condition if you wish to consider climbing Mt. Sinai. The climb is not recommended for those affected by heights. Dinner is included at the hotel.

DAY 14 – SHARM EL SHEIK/CAIRO – Wednesday (BD)
One more day on the beach before we head back to Cairo for maybe a last minute shopping at Kahn El Khalili, dinner is included at the hotel.

DAY 15 – CAIRO/USA Thursday (B)
After breakfast, our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home.

• Christmas, New Years, & Easter: From December 20 to January 3 inclusive; and Easter Season (2 weeks), please add 20 % per person.
• The Great Nile Cities Cruise departs weekly from New York (ask us for add-on from other major cities in the USA)
• Air Fare PEAK SEASON SUPPLEMENT: For departures May – Sep; Air fare supplement: $350. This supplement doesn’t apply when you handle your own airfare.

Hotel Choices

• Cairo Deluxe Hotels: City Stars Inter.continental. Nile Hilton, J. W. Marriott Cairo Conrad or Grand Hyatt. Sofitel, Meridien Pyramids, or similar
• Sample Deluxe hotels in Sharm: Rotana, Savoy, Hyatt / Marriott, Sonesta, Rotana
• Cairo First Class Hotels Four Stars: Shepherds’ Hotel. Oases, or similar

Rates include

• International airfares from New York to Cairo and return, in economy class, tax included.
• All airfares, transfers and airport taxes in Egypt (Including Abu Simbel).
• Set-menu meals including B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast), L = Lunch, D = Dinner as indicated in the tour itinerary above.
• Hotel accommodation with all tax & service charges.
• Nile cruise with all meals & shore excursions.
• Guided sightseeing, all as listed, including all entrance fees, and the service of an English speaking guide.
• Complimentary welcome drink upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
• Complimentary welcome fruit basket on board the Nile Cruise.
• Large bottle of water (per person) delivered to you cabin daily while you are on board the Nile Cruise.
• Tea or coffee an bottled water with each / every meal while you are on board the Nile Cruise.
• Guided sightseeing by air-conditioned motor coach, including all admissions fees.
• VIP Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
  Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport (photos are not required). Egyptian Visa will be issued for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 months beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. meets with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports, then you claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room in Cairo upon arrival with our compliments.

DRESS CODE:
All of our Nile cruise vessels are fully air conditioned. Onboard dress is casual except at dinner, when smart casual is the rule. Lightweight cotton and other natural fiber clothing is best, with swimsuits and sun hats for the sundeck and pool. Bring a light sweater or light jacket for cool mornings and evenings, but most days are warm to hot, with very little rain. Comfortable walking shoes are essential for shore excursions.

Not included:

• Airport taxes
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance
• Personal expenses, including excess baggage or shipping charges, beverages, and personal charges in hotels for laundry, telephone, or other services
• Gratuities

The 14-Day Version with an extended stay in Cairo and a
Nile cruise on board a Deluxe Dahabiya

Here’s the best of Egypt: a good look at Cairo and a one week Yacht Felucca cruise along the Nile including the Abu Simbel Ramses temples in Nubia, locally escorted. The cruise boarding is in either Luxor or Aswan.

Sail the Nile in Royal Style on board these Dahabiyas, they were the traditional sailing vessel of much of the Mediterranean world, and the traditional Nile felucca, or Dahabiya, was the mainstay of travel in ancient Egypt. With shallow drafts, sails, and oars, dahabiyas/feluccas could navigate not only the great river, but the maze of canals threading through its banks, with or without wind, reaching every part of the kingdom.

Dahabbiyas/Feluccas long ago transcended their role as humble transports. They held the ancient empire together, carrying troops, decrees, and the very mystery of the pharaoh.

DAY 1 – CAIRO Tuesday – Weekly in Cairo, year round
On arrival, our local representative will greet you at the airport and whisk you to your hotel. Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport.

VIP Meet & Greet Upon arrival at Cairo Airport
Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. will meet you with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports and then you claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you by private vehicle to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.

Sample Hotels: City Stars Inter.continental. Cairo Marriott or similar. After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel.

DAY 2 – CAIRO – Wednesday (BL)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum including the “Mummies Room” and King Tut’s Gold Treasure Pavillion. Lunch is included at Naguib Mahfouz or Hadaik El Azhar restaurant. On to Al-Azhar Park and El Darb El-Ahmar, then the Citadel of Saladin, and Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster, then wander through the alleys of the charming Khan El-Khalili Bazaar district.The Agha Khan Development Network The Azhar Park Project in old Islamic Cairo and the Conservation and Revitalization of Darb al-Ahmar historical treasures.

DAY 3 – CAIRO – Thursday (BL)
After breakfast, drive to the edge of Cairo. We are now in Giza – stand in awe in front of the Sphinx, and the mighty Pyramids of Giza. Complimentary short camel ride is included to allow you a photo with the Pyramids in the background Time is limited, so please do not go for what the camel driver tries to convince you, i.e. go for a long ride around the Pyramids. Lunch is included at the Mena House. After lunch we head for Memphis & Sakkara, visiting some of the Mastabas and Zoser Step-Pyramid. Stop at Haraniya before we head back to your hotel.

DAY 4 – CAIRO- GIZA – Friday (BL)
Full day on your own, explore the city on your own as you wish, or ask us for help with any of the optional tours.

Day 5 – Saturday – Cairo to Luxor and board your deluxe air conditioned Felucca
Very early morning breakfast and transfer to Cairo Airport. Flight is included in our rate, in economy class, tax included. Morning arrival at Luxor. We’ll meet you at the airport, and escort you to your deluxe air conditioned Nile cruise dahabbiya.
Board Luxor (or Aswan) and get ready for a relaxing week of sailing the Nile on a luxuriously appointed Dahabbiya.

After lunch, excursion to the West Bank for visits to the burial places of the Pharaohs – the Valley of the Kings – where Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922. Continue to the adjacent Valley of the Queens, the temple of Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon.

Overnight moored on the Nile banks of Luxor. Sample Deluxe dahabiya: Sonesta or Movenpick “Faddiya”. In the evening our guide will call on you for a horse-drawn carriage ride throughout Luxor souks and water front.

Day 6 – Sunday – Luxor – On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
You will visit the magnificent temple complex of Amon-Ra at Karnak, with its vast hypostyle hall of 137 columns, followed by the imposing 28th Dynasty Luxor Temple.

Our Tour includes as well: Medinet Habu, the Ramesseum and Deir El Medinah, the first known “Workers Village” these were the true creative heroes who built the temples & tombs for the mighty Pharaohs of the Nile Kingdom.

Deir El Medinah is on Luxor’s west bank where you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life at the ancient workers’ settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers’ paradise, we’ll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs.

Overnight moored in Luxor. In the evening your guide will call on you for a horse-drawn carriage ride through Luxor and the water front.

Day 7 – Monday – Luxor to Esna – On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
Today will be a leisurely day. After breakfast, commence sailing to Esna where your Dahabbiya will moor. This evening you may wish to enjoy dinner in Egyptian style, dressed in galabias, the flowing national costume (A Galabia will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments). While you are on board the cruise, afternoon tea will be served daily on deck.

Day 8 – Tuesday – Edfu – On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
This morning you will sail to Edfu to visit the wonderfully preserved Temple of Edfu. Overnight on board as we will look for an island in the middle of the Nile where we moor.

Day 9 – Wednesday – Kom Ombo – On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
Today you will sail to Kom Ombo to see the Ptolemaic temple dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus, god of the morning sun. Overnight moored beside a Nile island.

Day 10 – Thursday – Aswan – On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
A leisurely day sailing to Aswan where the dahabiyya moors overnight.

Day 11- Friday – Aswan – On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
Today you will visit the Aswan High Dam (completed in 1971); the Old Dam (completed in 1902) and the ‘ unfinished obelisk’, lying in situ since the days of the Pharaohs. You will also visit the Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, a structure rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser at the time of the High Dam’s construction. In the afternoon we’ll have the opportunity to experience Egypt at its most authentic, as we sail the Nile in a graceful Felucca, the age-old sailing vessel of the river to visit Elephantine Island and the Botanical Garden. In the evening our local guide will call on you once again for a horse-drawn carriage ride throughout Aswan and the local souks.

Day 12- Saturday – Aswan – Abu Simbel – Fly back to Cairo (BL)
Breakfast aboard the dahabiya and check-out.

We bid farewell to the crew, we switch transportation modes and head for Aswan Airport and your flight to Abu Simbel where your Private guide awaits you as well as your private chauffeur, of course you’ll have a private air-conditioned vehicle.

In the larger temple, colossal figures of Ramses are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters. The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. We explore these fine temple, admiring their ancient aura and artistry, after which retire to a comfortable hotel for our lunch, and refreshments. Then fly back to Cairo and your hotel. Air fare is always included within Egypt, economy class, tax included. In Cairo, we ‘ll assist with your transfer to your hotel.

Hotels: City Stars Inter.continental. Nile Hilton, Cairo Conrad or Grand Hyatt or similar

DAY 13 – Sunday – On Desert Safari for the Day – Fayoum Oases – And you thought the Pyramids were old (BL)
We leave Cairo by sunrise (private air conditioned car/driver/guide): Full day Fayoum Oases including: Hawara Pyramid, El Lahoun Pyramid, Ruins of Karanis, and drive by Lake Qarun. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

The wilds of the desert begin right on the outskirts of Cairo, and continue for hundreds of miles to the east and west, through sands, rock, mountains, oases, and a surprising variety of scenery and inhabitants.

Join us for a day ranging across the desert like modern nomads. In place of camels, we’ll travel in comfortable, reliable four-by-four Toyota Land Cruisers. Your guide and drivers will meet you at your hotel, and soon you’ll leave bustling Cairo behind as you undertake the drive toward the Oasis of El Fayoum, 150 kilometers to the southwest. Hard as it is to believe, a great inland sea once covered these sands. It was a holy reserve of sacred crocodiles, symbolized by the god Sobek.

We’ll visit the temple of Kom Oshim, drive over ancient lake beds, and alongside the waters of today’s Fayoum Lake to reach the fishermen’s village of Chak Chouk. There we’ll stop for a lunch of fish caught fresh that morning. There will be time to wander the village lanes and discreetly watch the everyday activities of baking flatbread, irrigating crops from the lake’s waters, and bringing in the catch. We’ll also include the craft and pottery museum where the best works of local artisans are on display.

Then it’s into our four-by-fours again, for an off-road adventure! We’ll head alongside and across desert washes, between dunes, and over ancient lake beds for 35 kilometers to the Valley of the Whales (In Arabic: Wadi-El-Hitan). Incredibly, these great mammals once thrived – almost forty million years ago – in waters surrounded by sands. We’ll stop and gaze in amazement at their fossilized remains alongside smaller sea creatures that remain in stone. This valley was discovered in 1936, by the German geologist George Schweinfurth in the northwestern corner of Wadi El-Rayan.

The valley provides evidence of one of the major changes in this mammal’s evolution and has been declared by the UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site. It is believed that these land based whales once had feet that may have helped them somewhat while ashore. A team from the University of Michigan discovered in the late 80’s that these Zeuglodon whales did have rudimentary feet. This was a startling discovery, suggesting that whales of Wadi -El-Hitan had recently started living in water as well. These whales were not related to any of the whales we have today, rather a more slender body and may grow up to 75 feet long. Several skeletons of whales are exposed in the sand. George Schweinfurth named this extinct specie the Zeuglodon Isis Whales.

In the evening, you’ll return to your hotel in Cairo. Land transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser with the services of driver and English-speaking driver. Lunch is included.

DAY 14 – CAIRO/ Departure – Monday (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight. Bon Voyage!

Rihana Dahabiya, Yasmina or Haya Dahabiya.
Cairo Hotels: J. W. Marriott. Cairo Marriott, Hilton, Cairo Conrad or Intercontinental Hotel or similar

Peak Season: Easter season (2 weeks), Christmas and New Year season (2weeks): Please add: % 20 to the listed rates.

Sonesta Dahabiya or similar
Cairo Hotels: J. W. Marriott. Cairo Marriott, Cairo Conrad or Intercontinental Hotel or similar

• Year Round (Except Holiday season)
• Peak Season: Easter season (2 weeks), Christmas and New Year season (2weeks): Please add: % 20 to the listed rates
• Upgrade to the Four Seasons Hotel in Cairo: Ultra Deluxe Rate

Sonesta Dahabiya or similar.
Private Local Guides Even For the Cruise Dahabiya Shore Excursions
The Four Seasons – Nile View room. Flying Business Class within Egypt.

• Year Round, except during Easter – Christmas/New Year’s:
• Peak Season: Please add % 20 to the listed rate for Easter Season (2 weeks). Christmas and New Year season (2weeks):

Rate Includes:

• Nile cruise shore excursions with all the guided sightseeing including all entrance fees, all as per itinerary.
• Private Egyptologist and private car/driver for Cairo and Abu Simbel tours as listed including all entrance fees and lunch.
• All meals on board the DELUXE Felucca / Yacht / Dahabiya Nile cruise: Pre set meals as listed including B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast), L = Lunch, D = Dinner
• Tea/ coffle and afternoon tea while on board the Deluxe Nile Cruise
• All airfares within Egypt in “Y” class including tax as listed.
• Private air conditioned car /driver for all transfers within Egypt.
• Deluxe hotel accommodation with tax & service charges.
• Accommodation in a private cabin: Double or single on board The Dahabiya / Yacht Nile Cruise with all meals and shore excursions (there is no triple occupancy cabin on board.
• VIP Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
  Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. will meet you with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports and then you claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you by private vehicle to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.

Rate Does Not Include:

• Travel Insurance.
• International air fare from / to your home country.
• Tips.

Cairo portion remains the same.

For the cruise portion:

Saturday – Board Aswan
Embarkation in Aswan for a relaxing week sailing the Nile on a luxuriously appointed dahabiyya. Overnight, the ship moors on the Nile banks of Aswan

Sunday
Today you will visit the Aswan High Dam (completed in 1971); the Old Dam (completed in 1902) and the ‘unfinished obelisk’, lying in situ since the days of the pharaohs. You will also visit the Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, a structure rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser at the time of the High Dam’s construction. Overnight moored in Aswan.

Monday
Morning sail to Kom Ombo to see the Ptolemaic temple dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus, god of the morning sun. Overnight moored beside a Nile island.

Tuesday
This morning you will sail to Edfu to visit the wonderfully preserved Temple of Edfu. Overnight moored beside an island.

Wednesday
Today will be a leisurely day. After breakfast, commence sailing to Esna, and onwards to Luxor, where your dahabiyya moors overnight.

Thursday
Excursion to the West Bank to visit the great burial places of the Pharaohs – the Valley of the Kings – where Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922. Continue to the adjacent Valley of the Queens, Medinet Habu Temple and the Colossi of Memnon. Overnight moored in Luxor.

Friday
This morning you will visit the magnificent temple complex of Amon-Ra at Karnak, with its vast hypostyle hall of 137 columns, followed by the imposing 28th Dynasty Luxor Temple. Overnight moored in Luxor.

Saturday- Luxor -Disembarkation
Breakfast aboard the dahabiyya, check-out.

Dinning in Luxury on board The Rihana Dahabiya

A Grand 17-Day Honeymoon Wishes tour of Egypt

Here’s the best of Egypt: a good look at Cairo, the Red Sea, Sharm El Sheikh and a one week Deluxe air-conditioned Dahabiya Yacht cruise along the Nile including a stop to visit the Abu Simbel temples in Nubia. You will board the cruise in either Luxor or Aswan.

You will have a private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide all the way except while on board the Dahabiya. There you will be part of the small group on board (for a private guide on board the cruise, please add $ 250 USD per person).

DAY 1 – CAIRO -Wednesday – Weekly in Cairo, year round – VIP Meet & Greet Service at Cairo Airport
Our local representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel.

VIP Meet & Greet Service at Cairo Airport
Visa fee is included and will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for Australian, NZ, American, EU, Canadian & Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 months beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. As you exit the gate, you will pass through a door or two, down some stairs, then walk for 2-5 minutes, until you pass the duty free shops. At the end of a wide corridor you will see the security officers. There you will be met by a local representative, who will be holding a sign with your name. Our local representative will then take your passport to obtain a stamp from the cashier / bank window and escort you to speak with the passport officer. He will escort you through another last check on your passport as you exit the passport control into customs area. He will assist you in collecting your luggage and clearing customs. After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.

Sample Hotels or similar: Cairo Marriott, Hilton, Cairo Conrad, InterContinental Hotels or similar

Upgrade to the Four Seasons Hotel or the Mena House Oberoi (Palace wing), ok to mix and match stay between Four Seasons and Oberoi Mena House hotels, rates are listed below.

DAY 2 – CAIRO – Thursday (BL)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum including the “Mummies Room”. Lunch is included at a local restaurant. On to Al-Azhar Park and El Darb El-Ahmar, then the Citadel of Saladin, and Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster, then wander through the alleys of the charming Khan El-Khalili Bazaar district.

The Agha Khan Development Network: The Azhar Park Project in old Islamic Cairo and the Conservation and Revitalization of Darb al-Ahmar historical treasures.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals: This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo! You’ll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you’ll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they’re sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you’ll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, if you prefer, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions by letting us know your preferences. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town).

DAY 3 – CAIRO- GIZA – Friday (BL)
Today we drive to the edge of Cairo. In Giza you will stand in awe in front of the Sphinx, and the mighty Pyramids of Giza. A complimentary short Camel ride is included, to allow you a photo with the Pyramids in the background. Time is limited, so please do not go for what the camel driver tries to convince you, i.e. go for a long ride around the Pyramids. Lunch is included at the Mena House, afternoon tour of Memphis and Sakkara, including the Step Pyramid and the Nobles Mastabas.

Day 4 – Saturday – Cairo to Luxor and board your deluxe air conditioned Felucca
Very early morning breakfast and transfer to Cairo Airport. Flight is included in our rate, in economy class, tax included. Morning arrival at Luxor. We’ll meet you at the airport, and escort you to your deluxe air conditioned Nile cruise felucca or dahabiya, Board Luxor (or Aswan). Get ready for a relaxing week sailing the Nile on a luxuriously appointed Dahabiya.

After lunch, excursion to the West Bank for visits to the burial places of the Pharaohs – the Valley of the Kings – where Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922. Continue to the adjacent Valley of the Queens, the temple of Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon. Overnight moored on the Nile banks of Luxor. Sample Deluxe Felucca / Dahabiya:
Sonesta Dahabiya, Rihana, or similar.

Day 5 – Sunday – Luxor – On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
You will visit the magnificent temple complex of Amon-Ra at Karnak, with its vast hypostyle hall of 137 columns, followed by the imposing 28 th Dynasty Luxor Temple. Overnight moored in Luxor.

Day 6 – Monday – Luxor to Esna – On board your Yacht Nile Cruise (BLD)
Today will be a leisurely day. After breakfast, commence sailing to Esna where your Dahabiya will moor.

Day 7 – Tuesday – Edfu – On board your Yacht Nile Cruise (BLD)
This morning you will sail to Edfu to visit the wonderfully preserved Temple of Edfu. Overnight on board as we will look for an island in the middle of the Nile where we moor.

Day 8 – Wednesday – Kom Ombo – On board your Yacht Nile Cruise (BLD)
Today you will sail to Kom Ombo visit see the Ptolemaic temple dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus, god of the morning sun. Overnight moored beside a Nile island.

Day 9 – Thursday – Aswan – On board your Yacht Nile Cruise (BLD)
A leisurely day sailing to Aswan where the dahabiya moors overnight. In the evening our local guide will call on you once again for a horse-drawn carriage ride throughout Aswan and the local souks.

Day 10 – Friday – Aswan – On board your Yacht Nile Cruise (BLD)
Today you will visit the Aswan High Dam (completed in 1971); the Old Dam (completed in 1902) and the ‘ unfinished obelisk’, lying in situ since the days of the Pharaohs. You will also visit the Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, a structure rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser at the time of the High Dam’s construction, in the afternoon we’ll have the opportunity to experience Egypt at its most authentic, as we sail the Nile in a graceful Felucca, the age-old sailing vessel of the river to visit Elephantine Island and the Botanical Garden.

For nature lovers we include a tour of the Botanical Garden Island in Aswan (while others will simply have you sail around the island without setting foot on it!), then we go on to Gharb Sehail and tour some of the mini nature protected Islands in the middle of the Nile with sandy beaches and beautiful rare plants.

Day 11- Saturday – Aswan – Abu Simbel – Aswan (BL)
Breakfast aboard the dahabiya and check-out.

We bid farewell to the crew, we switch transportation modes and head for Aswan Airport and your flight to Abu Abu Simbel, where you private guide awaits you, as well as your own private chauffeur and private air-conditioned vehicle.

In the larger temple, colossal figures of Ramses are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters. The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. We explore these fine temple, admiring their ancient aura and artistry, after which retire to a comfortable hotel for our lunch, and refreshments. Then fly back to Aswan and the Mövenpick Aswan Hotel or similar (we will be using the Old Cataract as well, as soon as it reopens). Remainder of the day at leisure in Aswan.

Day 12 – Sunday – Aswan – Fly back to Cairo and connect to Sharm el-Sheikh or Hurgada (based on your preference) (B)
Breakfast and check-out. Fly back to Cairo, where our local rep. will be waiting for you and assist with the transfer to the connecting flight to Sharm El Sheikh or Hurgada (please advise your preference). Air fare is always included: in business class (when available based on the plane’s configuration) with all taxes.

Hotels Deluxe category:
Sharm El Sheikh: Renaissance Sharm El Sheikh, Sonesta, Hilton, Mövenpick or similar.

Hotels Ultra Deluxe Category:
Sharm El Sheikh: Four Seasons or the Ritz (Deluxe Suite- with private plunge pool)
Hotels: Hurgada: Sahl Hasheesh Oberoi (Suite)

Oberoi Hurgada

DAY 13 – Sharm El-Sheikh, Monday (cB)
The day is yours to enjoy this unique desert beach resort. Relax by the cerulean waters, take a camel ride at your option, and observe in the distance the steady line of ships heading to and from the Suez Canal.

Sunset Camel Caravan or on Horse Back:
A one hour caravan on camels, or if you prefer to enjoy a one hour of horse back riding, please let us know, but in this case the horse ride will not be into the Sahara. The camel caravan is fully escorted and guided as well by local Bedouins through the desert and through the mountain passes of El Aat mountain, we stop at the highest point in the valley for a cup of tea with the Bedouin, take in the the evening charm of the desert & nature before we head back to your hotel.

Four Seasons Sharm El-Sheikh: Deluxe One-Bedroom Suite
Ideal for families travelling together or for private entertaining. Deluxe One-Bedroom Suites provide outstanding space for privacy and relaxation. Each suite features its own terrace with a private plunge pool, and partial views of the Red Sea and Resort courtyards and pathways.

The One-Bedroom Suite features a private plunge pool on its own terrace, furnished with a table and chairs, coffee table and built-in love seat. The elegant living room offers a sofa bed, separate closet and an entertainment centre with a television, DVD player and stereo system with CD player. The bedroom offers a king bed, a “Bose” Wave radio/CD player with MP3 player connection, a 107-centimetre (42-inch) LCD flat-screen television and a walk-in dressing room with ample closet space. The marble bathroom features a deep soaking tub, separate glass-enclosed shower, large vanity and WC; a guest powder room with shower is located off the living area.

Enjoy your deluxe suite with a private plunge pool at the
Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh

DAY 14 – Sharm El Sheikh, Snorkel or Dive (included) – Tuesday (B)
The Red Sea just off “Sharm” is replete with fascinating coral and aquatic species unique to this area. With our compliments, please enjoy exploring these wonders as you snorkel or scuba dive (for which proof of certification is a must, 2 dives are included at Ras Muhamed underwater reserve)

DAY 15 – Sharm El Sheikh – Wednesday (BLD)
After breakfast join us for a half day tour to the Pharaoh’s Island, with lunch. Saladin’s Castle and Pharaoh’s Island. Just off the Sinai along the northern reaches of the Gulf of Aqaba lies one of the more curious and scenic locales in this part of the world.

The rulers of the Nile might once have held sway over these rocks and sand and water of Pharaoh’s Island (or Coral Island, or Geziret Faroun). More certain is that Crusaders established an outpost here, on the site of a onetime Phoenician port, and erected a castle in 1115 A.D. to protect pilgrims on the way to St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai wilderness. The island did double duty as a base from which to attack Arab traders, which led to its capture by Saladin (or Salah El-Din). The legendary Arab leader strengthened the fortifications, and his name remains attached to the castle. Later, it was a Mameluke and Ottoman outpost.

We’ll have a treasured half-day opportunity to board a boat to visit this rarely seen fortress island. We’ll motor northward from Sharm El Sheikh, following the rocky coast, passing Bedouin travelers on camels, and secluded beaches, with occasional sightings of desert foxes. At Dahab or Nuweiba, we’ll embark for our short crossing to the island.

Once ashore, we’ll wander through the precincts of the reconstructed castle, with its courtyard, storerooms, galleys, and dining rooms, and appreciate the natural harbor that made this such a coveted outpost. And we’ll take in the unusual offshore vista of the breathtaking azure waters of the Gulf, backdropped by the grandeur of the mountains of Sinai and a cloudless sky.

Then, at your option, you can don scuba or snorkeling gear for a close encounter with the world-famous underwater life of coastal Sinai: corals, reefs, and schools of fish in every gradation of the rainbow, before we return to our lodgings at Sharm El Sheikh.

Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Enjoy a seaside resort experience unparalleled in the Middle East. Superb dining, spa, fitness, diving and sports – and luxurious guest rooms clustered like a hillside village above the shimmering drama of the Red Sea.

Dinner is included at a charming local restaurant.

DAY 16 – Sharm El Sheikh, Cairo – Thursday (B)
Breakfast (always included daily at your hotel) and check-out, fly back to Cairo (business class) and your hotel.

Hotels:Deluxe: J. W. Marriott, Sonesta Cairo (Suite). Nile Hilton, Cairo Conrad or Grand Hyatt or similar, or of course upgrade to the Ultra Deluxe: Four Seasons Hotel or the Mena House Oberoi (Palace wing). It is ok to mix and match yout stay between Four Seasons and Oberoi Mena House hotels, rates are listed below.

DAY 17 – CAIRO/ Departure – Friday (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight. Bon Voyage!

Rates are Year Round (Except Holiday season):
Armonia Dahabiya, Sonesta Dahabiya or similar

Peak Season: Easter (2 weeks), Christmas and New Year (2weeks): Please add % 15 to the listed rates.

Ultra Deluxe Rates are in USD $ Rates are PER Person

• Sonesta Dahabiya, Armonia Dahabiya or similar
• Based on Four Seasons Hotel Nile View in Cairo, Executive suite with Sofa Bed or Mena House Palace Section, Pyramid view room (subject to availability)
• Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh
• Flying Business Class within Egypt

Peak Season: Easter (2 weeks), Christmas and New Year (2weeks): Please add % 15 to the listed rates.

Rates Include:

• Nile cruise shore excursions with all the guided sightseeing including all entrance fees, all as per itinerary.
• Private Egyptologist and private car/driver for Cairo and Abu Simbel tours as listed including all entrance fees and lunch.
• All meals on board the DELUXE Felucca / Yacht / Dahabiya Nile cruise: Pre set meals as listed including B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast), L = Lunch, D = Dinner
• Tea/ coffee and afternoon tea while on board the Deluxe Nile Cruise
• All airfares within Egypt in “Y” class including tax as listed, For the “Ultra Deluxe”: Four Seasons and Mena House category, it is in business class within Egypt.
• Private air conditioned car /driver for all transfers within Egypt.
• Deluxe hotel accommodation with tax & service charges.
• Accommodation in a private cabin: Double or single on board The Dahabia / Felucca / Yacht Nile Cruise with all meals and shore excursions (there is no triple occupancy cabin on board)
• VIP Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
  Visa fee is included and will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for Australian, NZ, American, EU, Canadian & Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 months beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. As you exit the gate, you will pass through a door or two, down some stairs, then walk for 2-5 minutes, until you pass the duty free shops. At the end of a wide corridor you will see the security officers. There you will be met by a local representative, who will be holding a sign with your name. Our local representative will then take your passport to obtain a stamp from the cashier / bank window and escort you to speak with the passport officer. He will escort you through another last check on your passport as you exit the passport control into customs area. He will assist you in collecting your luggage and clearing customs. After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.

Rate Does Not Include:

• Travel Insurance.
• Tips
• International air fare from / to your home country.

Many visitors come to Egypt to fulfill their dream of sailing the Nile on board a private boat.These Four Dahabbiya allow you to experience the Nile ‘s romance in an intimate, privileged setting. The dahabiyas take you back in time to a gentler, more gracious era.

On the Nile in Royal Style Feluccas or Dahabiyas are the traditional sailing vessel of much of the Mediterranean world, and the traditional Nile felucca, or Dahabia, was the mainstay of travel in ancient Egypt.

With shallow drafts, sails, and oars, feluccas could navigate not only the great river, but the maze of canals threading through its banks, with or without wind, reaching every part of the kingdom.

Dahabbiyas / Feluccas long ago transcended their role as humble transports. They held the ancient empire together, carrying troops, decrees, and the very mystery of the pharaoh.

Along the way, we moor on uninhabited Nile islands, whose virgin landscapes have hardly changed throughout millennia. Wandering the gardens and Nile islands is an idyllic pastime, and the perfect compliment to your visits to Egypt’s matchless monuments.

The Dahabbiyas are beautifully crafted wooden ships, outfitted in colonial style with oriental and Egyptian touches. The interiors boast period furnishing, and each cabin has its own distinct style and interior.

A skilled river captain is on board at all times. A guide is at your disposal to plan your itinerary and escort you through the sites you choose to visit. The crew has completely separate quarters, to ensure your privacy.

This Grand 15-day tour shows you the best of Cairo as well as the Nile’s other great cities: Luxor, Thebes, Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan – on a Nile cruise with a break on the beach in Sharm at the end of the tour.

DAY 1 – NEW YORK – JFK /CAIRO – Every Thursday and Monday – Weekly – Year Round
Your comfortable wide-body jet departs the USA for Cairo. For most West Coast Cities, please note the “see add on air fare” listed below. West coast customers do not need to fly via NYC.

DAY 2 – CAIRO- Friday and Tuesday
Our local Cairo rep. greets you and escorts you through the excitement and hubbub of the Heliopolis area and onward to your hotel. Sample hotels (or similar): Deluxe: Hilton, Sheraton, J. W. Marriott or similar. First: Shepheard’s, Oasis, Novotel.

Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport. VIP Arrival Hall At Cairo Airport, no photos required. Our representative will greet you at the airport and whisk you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 months beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. will have a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports, then you claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.

DAY 3 – CAIRO -Saturday and Wednesday (BLD)
Our full-day tour of the great metropolis includes the most spellbinding sights: the Pyramids at Giza, the mighty Sphinx, The Mighty Pharaoh Cheops own Royal Yacht Museum, the treasure-filled Egyptian Museum with the Mummies Pavillion and King Tut’s Gold Treasure Pavillion included. Lunch is included at the Mena House. We return to Giza by sunset for the Sound & Light show, you may wish to bring a jacket with you. Dinner is included back at the hotel.

DAY 4 – ALEXANDRIA – Wadi Natrun Monastery – Sunday and Thursday (BLD)
Today, we’ll get to known Alexandria in depth, as we visit the Museum, the Roman Amphitheater, the Koum El Shougafa Tombs, and the fortress of Kayet Bey. After lunch in an Alexandrine restaurant, we’ll make a brief stop at the new Alexandria Library before we travel to Cairo through the Western Desert to stop at Wadi El Natroun monastery, where early Coptic Christians retreated here to escape the Roman persecution in the 4th century AD. The Egyptian Pope of Alexandria is always chosen from the Monks of wadi El Natroun. Reach Cairo early evening and your hotel where dinner awaits you.

DAY 5 CAIRO – Ottoman Cairo, Home Hosted Dinner – Monday and Friday (BLD)
We continue our explorations with a half-day tour through medieval Khan el-Khalili, the bazaar district, to admire the ancient streets, houses and mosques. We tour as well the Caravanserai of Wekalet El Ghouri, Beit El Kritlya /Gayer Anderson old Ottoman Houses (Built 15th century). The afternoon is devoted to: the former Royal palace of Abdeen & Manial Palace, the Palace of Egypt’s last Crown Prince.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals: This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo! You’ll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you’ll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they’re sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you’ll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, if you prefer, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions by letting us know your preferences. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town).

DAY 6 – LUXOR (or Aswan) Tuesday and Saturday – Board your Nile Cruise (BLD)
After a short morning flight to Luxor, we check in on our Nile cruiser. Welcome fruit basket. Following lunch aboard, we tour Luxor Museum the stupendous Great Temple of Amon at Karnak and the smaller – but still immense – Temple of Luxor. In the evening we return to Karnak for an evening Sound & Light show, (a Jacket is a must).

DAY 7 – VALLEY OF THE KINGS- Wednesday and Sunday (BLD)
After breakfast we tour the Valley of the Kings, including King Tut’s Tomb, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari. Followed by the Colossi of Memnon, returning to our ship for lunch. The afternoon is for Deir el Medina the Ancient Workers Village, where the first known “Sit-down” Strike against the Pharaoh took place. It is said that the “Palace” did back down and made good on the back pay, in sesame oil! Deir El Medinah is on Luxor’s west bank where you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life at the ancient workers’ settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers’ paradise, we’ll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs. You’ll be back on board in time for tea and an excellent dinner. Complimentary galabya will be delivered to your cabin.

DAY 8 – ESNA & EDFU – Thursday and Monday (BLD)
We cruise to Esna during the night. Go thru the locks, then cruise to Edfu, where we board horse-drawn carriages for the short ride through the town to the stupendous Temple of Horus, the best preserved temple on the Nile. Returning to our ship, we set sail for Kom Ombo. In the evening there’s a galabia party. If you’ve tried our flowing Egyptian garment (the galabya), tonight’s the night to try it on!

DAY 9 – KOM OMBO – ASWAN -Friday and Tuesday (BLD)
First thing in the morning we explore the twin temples of Haroeris, the sun god, and Sobek, the crocodile god, at Kom Ombo, then re board our ship for the voyage south to Aswan. After lunch we board a graceful felucca and cruise among the islands. Followed by visit to the Nubian Museum. Complimentary Egyptian sweets/ pastry.

DAY 10 – Camel Caravan – Saturday and Wednesday (B)
After breakfast we check out of our floating hotel, we tour Aswan Dams, enjoy a Felucca sailing among the Nile rocky islands, followed by a trip by motor launch to the Island temple of Philae, dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS. For those interested, please join us on a complimentary short camel ride to a nearby Nubian village for tea with the locals. Overnight at your hotel in Aswan: Deluxe: the Aswan Movenpick Hotel, for an upgrade to the Old Cataract, please add: $ 150 per person in double (as soon as it reopens). First Class: Basma Hotel, or similar.

DAY 11- Abu Simbel- Private Air-conditioned vehicle- Private Chauffeur – Private Guide – Sunday and Thursday – Cairo – Sharm El Sheikh (B)
We take a short flight to Abu Simbel, where your private air-conditioned vehicle awaits you and your private guide. In the larger temple, colossal figures of Ramses are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters. The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. We explore these fine temple, admiring their ancient aura and artistry, after which retire to a comfortable hotel for refreshments. Just as planeloads of visitors arrive to throng the temples we fly back to Aswan, and on to Cairo where we connect to fly to Sharm El Sheikh: Hotels (or similar): Deluxe: Sharm El Sheikh Renaissance, Hyatt. Savoy. Rotana. Marriott. First: Hilton. Novotel or similar.

DAY 12- SHARM EL SHEIK – Monday and Friday (BD)
Relax! These are your days to absorb all that you’ve seen and experienced so far, not to mention the bright Egyptian sun and sparkling Red Sea. Evening Dinner with the Bedouins on the edge of the Sahara, with Bedouin Music.

DAY 13 – MOUNT SINAI – St. CATHERINE Monastery- Tuesday and Saturday (BLD)
Relax! This is one more day in “Paradise”, enjoy the beach the Egyptian sun and maybe fishing, snorkeling or diving in the Red Sea. Or join us (must request at the time of booking), this is a 1 or 2 AM departure from the hotel to avoid the sun heat, we reach the foot of the mountain before dawn – this is a complimentary tour to Mount Sinai – then in the cool before sunrise, we drive into the wilderness of Sinai, through which Moses led his people to the Promised Land. Our goal is the Monastery of St. Catherine, built on the site of the burning bush at the base of Mount Sinai. We tour the monastery, rich in history, icons and sacred paintings, returning to Sharm late in the evening. You must be in good physical condition if you wish to consider climbing Mt. Sinai. The climb is not recommended for those affected by heights. Remainder of the day at lesiure. Dinner is included back at the hotel.

DAY 14 – SHARM EL SHEIK/CAIRO – Wednesday and Sunday (BD)
One more day on the beach before we head back to Cairo for maybe a last minute shopping at Kahn El Khalili, dinner is included at the hotel.

DAY 15 – CAIRO/USA Thursday (B)
After breakfast, our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home.

 Christmas, New Years and Easter
From December 20 to January 3 inclusive; and Easter Season (2 weeks), please add 20 % per person.

Air Fare PEAK SEASON SUPPLEMENT
For departures May – Sep; Air fare supplement: $ 450. This supplement doesn’t apply when you handle your own airfare.

Hotel Choices

• Cairo Deluxe Hotels: City Stars Inter.continental. Hilton,Sonesta, Cairo Conrad or Grand Hyatt. Sofitel, Meridien Pyramids, or similar
• Sample Deluxe hotels in Sharm: Rotana, Savoy, Hyatt / Marriott, Sonesta
• Cairo First Class Hotels Four Stars: Shepherds’ Hotel. Oases, or similar

Rates include

• International airfares from New York to Cairo and return, in economy class, tax included.
• All airfares, transfers and airport taxes in Egypt (Including Abu Simbel).
• Set-menu meals including B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast), L = Lunch, D = Dinner as indicated in the tour itinerary above.
• Hotel accommodation with all tax & service charges.
• Nile cruise with all meals & shore excursions.
• Guided sightseeing, all as listed, including all entrance fees, and the service of an English speaking guide.
• Complimentary welcome drink upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
• Complimentary welcome fruit basket on board the Nile Cruise.
• Large bottle of water (per person) delivered to you cabin daily while you are on board the Nile Cruise.
• Tea or coffee an bottled water with each / every meal while you are on board the Nile Cruise.
• Guided sightseeing by air-conditioned motor coach, including all admissions fees.
• VIP Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
  Our representative will greet you at the airport and whisk you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 months beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. will have a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports, then you claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.

Not included:

• Airport taxes
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance
• Personal expenses, including excess baggage or shipping charges, beverages, and personal charges in hotels for laundry, telephone, or other services
• Gratuities

All of our Nile cruise vessels are fully air conditioned. Onboard dress is casual except at dinner, when smart casual is the rule. Lightweight cotton and other natural fiber clothing is best, with swimsuits and sun hats for the sundeck and pool. Bring a light sweater or light jacket for cool mornings and evenings, but most days are warm to hot, with very little rain. Comfortable walking shoes are essential for shore excursions.

An In-Depth 14-Day Tour of Egypt and the Nile Valley

The Lair of Rameses: Tanis, modern San El Hagar, famed in the film Raiders of the Lost Ark as the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant, and the Suez Canal. Our deluxe tour of Cairo, the Nile and the Abu Simbel Temples gives you an in-depth look at the wonders of Egypt in 14 days at the best rates possible. Meet the local, enjoy a home hosted meal.

DAY 1 – CAIRO – Monday
On arrival, our local representative will greet you at the airport and whisk you to your hotel. Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport.

VIP Meet & Greet Upon arrival at Cairo Airport?
Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. will meet you with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports and then you claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you by private vehicle to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.

Sample Deluxe Hotels: Ramses Hilton, Cairo Sheraton, Sonesta, Cairo Marriott, Cairo Conrad, Semiramis InterContinental Hotel or similar.

DAY 2 – CAIRO – Tuesday (BLD)
Today we see Cairo’s major sights: the Egyptian Museum including the” Mummies room”, King Tut’s gold treasure room, Saladin’s Citadel, Sultan Hassan Madrassa, the Alabaster Mosque,and the 12th Century Khan El Khalili Bazaar district including Muizz Ledeen Allah Street. Lunch is included at Naguib Mahfouz a true charming local restaurant. Dinner is included at La Bodega restaurant in Zamalek.

DAY 3 – CAIRO – Wednesday (BLD)
We tour Old Cairo: the Coptic museum, Church of Abu Sarga, and Ben Ezra Synagogue, where we will visit the spot at which, tradition says, Moses was found by the banks of the Nile. Afternoon tour of Abdeen Royal Palace Museum, El Darb El Ahmar and Hadaik El Azhar. Evening Whirling Dervishes performance at Wekalet El Ghouri. Lunch at Abu El-Sid restaurant, dinner at Zeitouna restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel.

DAY 4 – CAIRO- Home Hosted Dinner – Thursday (B)
Morning tour of one of the gems of Cairo lay hidden for years behind locked gates in a nondescript neighborhood: the tomb and gardens of Khedive Tawfik.

The Khedive was the viceroy who administered Egypt for the Turkish sultan. It was Tawfik’s father, Khedive Ismail, who saw to the construction of the Suez Canal. In the process, he mortgaged the nation, and threw Egypt into turmoil. Tawfik was installed in his father’s place. But with foreign bankers pressing on one side, and resentful nationalist officers on the other, he was ineffectual. British troops moved into the Suez Canal area to protect their investment—and didn’t leave until 1952, when the monarchy was given the boot.

Tawfik’s mausoleum far outshines his rule. The original family burial area was enlarged in 1881 and decorated with a splendor not seen since the times of the Pharaohs. Columns with intricate Islamic-Mameluke decoration adorn the entrance, while parts of the gold-threaded woven cover of the holy Kabah of Mecca adorn the walls inside the doorways.

The tomb of Bambah Qadin, in white marble, is impressive, but that of Tawfik himself is stunning: constructed of ebony, with inlays of ivory, mother-of-pearl, and precious woods. Elsewhere are the tombs of other family members, including that of Price Muhammad Ali, who married a French actress. Even the family library is here.

With treasures like these, it’s no wonder that the precincts were closed off from public view in uncertain times.

Even today, Tawfik’s Tomb and Gardens are off the beaten track for most visitors, but at Travel in Style, we’re proud to include this little-known treasure house of Egyptian history and art on our regular tours.

This afternoon Cairo is yours to explore (or to shop!) as you like, guidebook in hand; or ask about our optional tours.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals: This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo! You’ll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you’ll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they’re sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you’ll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, if you prefer, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions by letting us know your preferences. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town).

DAY 5 – DAHSHOUR – Friday (BL)
A half-day tour takes us to Dahshour, the pyramid field south of Cairo: DAHSOUR – we’ll motor to the edge of Cairo, to Dahshour, south of Cairo. We visit the great pyramid of Senfru, father of Cheops, and other structures.

The “Discovery” of Dahshour:
For almost half a century, the great field of huge pyramids near the desert village of Dahshour, 25 miles south of Cairo, has been off limits to the public. Confined within the perimeter of a military base were many pyramids, including the great 4500-year-old pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops. Senfru’s pyramid, the largest in Egypt until his son built Giza’s Great Pyramid, is rhomboidal in shape: it tapers more distinctly on its upper half. All the pyramids were coated in thick plaster at one time. Most have lost these protective, decorative sheaths, but Senfru’s – miraculously – is still in place. Lunch is included at the Mena House.

DAY 6 – LUXOR – KARNAK- Board Your Nile Cruise – Saturday (BLD)
An early flight takes us to Luxor, where we settle in aboard our Nile cruiser. Following lunch aboard, we visit the great Temple of Luxor, and the gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, returning to our vessel in time for tea. In the evening, your guide will call on you for the Sound and Light show at Karnak.

DAY 7 – VALLEY OF THE KINGS – Sunday (BLD)
We tour the Valley of the Kings including Tut-Ank-Amon’s tomb, temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari, and Colossi of Memnon, returning to our Nile cruiser for lunch.

Today we tour as well: Madinet Habu, Closi of Memnon and the Ancient Workers Village at Deir El Medineh, the first known “Workers Village” these were the true creative heroes who built the temples & tombs for the mighty Pharaohs of the Nile Kingdom.

Deir El Medinah is on Luxor’s west bank you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers’ settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers’ paradise, we’ll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs

In the evening your guide will call on you for a horse drawn carriage ride throughout Luxor souks and the waterfront.

DAY 8 – ESNA – EDFU – Monday (BLD)
We cruise to Esna during the night and pass through the locks. After breakfast, our guests will get to drive to Esna village by a Private air conditioned car/driver/guide Egyptologist for your tour today of Esna Temple. The temple was buried for centuries and discovered in the late 1930’s and is dedicated to the ancient Egyptian god: Khnum. The temple was buried and covered with about ten meters of earth, with the village of Esna built on top. This protected the temple below the ground and it is partially excavated in order to avoid collapsing neighboring more contemporary building above ground (Esna town). The Temple is smack in the middle of the town square, you’ll go thru a very lively tourist-oriented market, which fills a couple of streets leading inland from the corniche. The Temple was one of the stops among several pilgrimage points for the devout. Ritual: The Temple of Esna conveys a sense of the importance which the Ancient Egyptians placed upon their places of worship. All Egyptians who entered the confines of an Egyptian temple were required “to comply with the strict rules regarding ritual purity.”[9] According to inscriptions carved on the walls of the Temple of Esna, those who entered this temple were expected to fastidiously cut their fingernails and toenails, remove other body hair, wash their hands with natron (a natural occurring salt), “be dressed in linen (they were forbidden from wearing wool), and not to have had sexual intercourse for several days.”

We will tour Esna Temple while your cruise is going thru Esna Locks: Two barrage bridges straddle the Nile at this point: one built by the British in 1906, and the “Electricity Bridge” built in the 1990s.

Head back to your cruise and on to Edfu where we dock for the night. In the evening, we’ll celebrate in Egyptian style, dressed in galabias, the flowing national costume. A galabya will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments.

Drive back to your cruise close to Edfu and board horse-drawn carriages to get to the fine Temple of Horus. In the evening, we have a jolly galabiyas party. A Galabya will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments.

DAY 9 – KOM OMBO – ASWAN – Tuesday (BLD)
We explore Kom Ombo’s twin Temples of Haroeris, the sun god, and Sobek, the crocodile god, before cruising south to Aswan. After lunch aboard, we board a graceful felucca for a cruise among the Nile islands. Evening Philae Sound and Light show.

DAY 10 – ASWAN- Philae Temple – Isis All That Has Been – ABU SIMBEL – CAIRO – Wednesday (B)
The mighty Aswan dams and the Nubian Museum are our first goal this morning, followed by a trip by motor launch to the Philae temples (Lunch Box will be prepared by your chef including bottled water). The Island temple of Philae is dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS.

The Mystery of Isis
Two millennia ago the Mediterranean world was enthralled by the mystery of Isis: “I, Isis, am all that has been, that is or shall be; no mortal man hath ever seen me unveiled.”

Called Aset by the ancient Egyptians, the goddess was a Madonna in the Mediterranean tradition that stretches far, far back to the primitive Mother Goddess from Anatolia, home to some of the oldest human communities on earth.

Isis was the powerful and quick-witted protector of her son Horus, the Sun God. Ancient peoples throughout the Mediterranean regarded Isis and Horus as the perfect Madonna and Child. Another legend says she was also the mother of the fertility god Min who, judging from the depiction of him on temple walls, needed no help from Viagra!

Back on land, we head for the airport, and fly to Abu Simbel. This is a very full day, expect possible last minute changes and / or cancellation by Egyptair. This is very common in Egypt.

Abu Simbel may be the highlight of your Egyptian adventure. Upon arrival in Abu Simbel, you will find your private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide waiting for you.

In the larger Ramses the Great temple, colossal figures of Ramses are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters. The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. We explore these fine temple, admiring their ancient aura and artistry, then we head back to Abu Simbel Airport, fly back to Aswan and connect to your flight back to Cairo and overnight.

DAY 11 – Giza, Memphis, Sakkara – Thursday (BL)
In the morning, we visit the majestic pyramids of Giza, Cheops Royal Barge Museum and the timeless Sphinx. The afternoon is for Memphis and Sakkara, including the Step Pyramid of Zoser the Serapeum, Imhotep small yet charming museum and Nobles tombs/Mastabas. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant. In the evening, we return to the Pyramids for an awe-inspiring sound-and-light show.

DAY 12 – CAIRO – Friday – The Culture of Cairo (BLD)
Today we’ll explore deep into the heart of Cairo, and get to know its daily rhythms, its spirituality, its history, and its modern diversions. We’ll start early, with a visit to a local market, with an immense variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables on offer, both familiar and exotic.

You’ll see that shopping in Cairo goes far beyond a supermarket experience. Be prepared for whispers, gestures, shouting, and controlled chaos. It’s all part of the bargaining process, engaged in by women in traditional modest garb as well as others in Western dress.

Then it’s on to the Museum of Islamic Art, with its tapestries, textiles, swords and other objects exemplifying one of the world’s great decorative traditions. We’ll continue to the Gayer-Anderson House, a serene and classic domestic oasis, right down to its central fountain and exquisite furnishings. Our visit is also a journey into a vanished way of life—the residence is actually two traditional medieval Cairo houses restored by an English physician to a former king. We’ll stop for lunch at a restaurant where Cairenes go, then visit the Bab an-Nasr, the Gate of Victory in Cairo’s old walls. You’ll even see graffiti that survives from soldiers of Napoleon and of the British Empire, among the many who passed this way. Dinner is included on board a Dinner Cruise.

DAY 13 – Tanis – Suez Canal – Sunday or Tuesday – Saturday – (B. Lunch Box)
Breakfast is included at the hotel, lunch box will be prepared by your chef with bottled water.

To the Lair of Rameses and the Suez Canal
Venture where few visitors have gone before, away from trafficked pathways and neatly packaged tours, to the legendary capital of Rameses II, the Great. So unusual is this full-day adventure, and so select are the people who take it, that special permits are required from the Egyptian Department of Antiquities. And if this opportunity is not enough to whet your appetite, we’ll round out a spectacular day with a journey forward through the centuries, to the modern wonder of the Suez Canal.

Arrange your wake-up call… we’ll be heading out from Cairo at 6 a.m. on our day of discovery. We’ll make our way through busy streets, and beyond, to the fertile farmlands of the Nile Delta, seemingly unchanged since the time of the pharaohs, watered by a web of canals running from the life-giving Nile, worked by villagers with hand tools and the aid of camels and donkeys. We’ll pass through Zagazig, a bustling cotton and grain farming center, and stop at nearby Bubastis, capital of the 22nd and 23rd dynasties. Here, the cat was more than a king, it was honored as a goddess, and sacred cats were buried in chambers that lie behind an Old Kingdom Chapel. Parts of temples erected by Osorkon II and Nectanebo II also remain.

But this is only a prologue. We’ll continue to Tanis – modern San El Hagar – famed in the film Raiders of the Lost Ark as the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. Tanis was the capital of Smendes, founder of the 21st Dynasty, a grand center whose rich remains include the main temple of Amun, and a royal Necropolis with the only Pharaonic burials never touched by ancient tomb raiders. There are even artificial lakes contained by limestone blocks.

So grand was Tanis that many believe that it was the capital of Rameses the Great. Among the layers of cities and palaces might lie the site of the Pharaoh’s court that was built by the labor of the ancient Hebrews. before Moses led them out of Egypt.

Tanis is a restricted site because of its ongoing excavations and its intact burial chambers that are still yielding treasures and understanding of the ancients. It will be your privilege to make your own discoveries as one of the few to tread these stones. Because our path is away from the usual routes of visitors, we will travel with provisions, including a box lunch, and of course, bottled water.

After our discovery of Tanis, we’ll journey northeastward through the delta and across the centuries to a wonder of the modern world. The Suez Canal opened in 1869 to international celebration that included the commissioning of the opera Aida, after ten years of excavation that employed more than a million laborers. The canal was the technological feat of its day, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, cutting trade routes to the East in half, and changing the course of history. Even today it is the mainstay of Egypt’s economy, its neutrality guaranteed by treaty.

We’ll visit Ismailia, where the historic Canal headquarters are located. We’ll soak up the atmosphere of worldwide commerce passing through this sash of the sea, and conjure up the international intrigues of bygone days, as we take a break for tea and sandwiches at a local establishment. If time permits, we’ll see the fortifications of the Bar Lev line, held by Israel after the Six Day War of 1967, and demolished by water cannon in 1973 in a surprise Egyptian attack.

After a day of encounters with ancient and modern history, we’ll continue on our way back to Cairo.

DAY 14 – DEPARTURE – Sunday (B)
Our local rep. escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Bon Voyage!

YOUR TOUR INCLUDES:

• Egyptian domestic airfares as described in the itinerary in economy class.
• All airport transfers and taxes in Egypt.
• Hotel accommodations (including taxes).
• Set-menu (table d’hote) meals as indicated in the itinerary above.
• A Nile cruise with all shore excursions and meals.
• Guided sightseeing by air-conditioned motor coach, including all admissions fees. In Abu Simbel your tour is on a private basis (private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide)
• Complimentary welcome drink upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
• Complimentary welcome fruit basket on board the Nile Cruise.
• Large bottle of water (per person) delivered to you cabin daily while you are on board the Nile Cruise.
• Tea or coffee and bottled water with each / every meal while you are on board the Nile Cruise.
• VIP Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
  Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport (photos are not required).
  Egyptian Visa will be issued for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens,You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. meets with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports, then you claim your luggage, after you clear the passport and customs formalities and exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room in Cairo upon arrival with our compliments.

Not included:

• Expenses of personal nature, such as phone calls, laundry, beverages, etc
• Travel Insurance.
• Air fare from/to your home country
• Tips

Our exclusive 12 day tour shows you: Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, and Aswan, with a five-day luxury cruise on Lake Nasser to Abu Simbel. The heartland of Nubia (Land of gold) that gave birth to the brilliant 25th Dynasty of the Nubian Kings were known as the “Black Pharaohs” who were able to protect Egypt from the Assyrians (approximately until 600 BC).

DAY 1 – CAIRO – Weekly on Saturday. Year Round
On arrival, our local representative will greet you at the airport and whisk you to your hotel. Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport.

VIP Meet & Greet Upon arrival at Cairo Airport?
Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. will meet you with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports and then you claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you by private vehicle to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.

DAY 2 – Sunday- Cairo (BLD)
On your first day in Egypt we explore the wonders of Cairo: the Egyptian Museum which holds the treasures of King Tutankhamon, tour includes the Mummies Pavilion and King Tut’s Gold Treasure Pavilion; the pyramids of Giza, The Mighty Pharaoh Cheops personal Yacht Museum, and the Great Sphinx; and the Valley Temple made from huge blocks of red granite.
Lunch is included at the Mena House. Dinner is included at La Bodega Restaurant or Abu El Sid Restaurant or similar.

DAY 3 – Monday-Aswan, Board your Cruise (BLD)
After an early breakfast, we drive to the airport for the flight to Aswan, where we board our lake cruiser. Morning tour of the newly opened Museum of Nubia After lunch aboard, we visit the Temple of Kalabsha, originally constructed in Pharaonic style, but later remodeled in Greco-Roman style and dedicated to the god Mandulis. Next we visit Beit el Wali, a work of Pharaoh Ramses the Great, followed by a stop at Kertassi Kiosk, dedicated to the goddess Isis. We dine aboard our floating hotel.

DAY 4 – Tuesday – Cruising Lake Nasser (BLD)
We set out on our voyage across vast Lake Nasser, Egypt’s great man-made inland sea formed by the waters held behind the Aswan High Dam. Our luxury cruise vessel is equipped with a swimming pool, jacuzzi, Turkish (steam) bath, sauna and staff trained in massage. As we head south towards Wadi el Seboua, you have time to relax on deck, take a dip in the pool, read up on Egyptian history, and get to know your fellow travelers.

DAY 5- Wednesday – On board your Nubian Cruise (BLD)
Our first port of call is at the Temple of Wadi el Seboua, dedicated by the mighty Ramses the Great to two of ancient Egypt’s most powerful gods. Our next stop is Dakka Temple, followed by a visit to Amada and the tomb of Penout, the powerful viceroy of Nubia, one of ancient Egypt’s richest regions. Known as the “Land of Gold,” Nubia was famous for the stream of gold, ivory, precious stones and minerals which made their way from Africa to Egypt via the Nubian Nile. We dock at Kasr Ibrim.

DAY 6 – Thursday- Abu Simbel- Cruising Lake Nasser (BLD)
As the sun brightens the lakeshore we gaze at the citadel of Kasr Ibrim, a once-mighty fortress which time and weather have rendered fragile, the only structure of its kind still extant in Nubia. We learn about the history of Nubia and this fortress, then, after lunch, set sail for Abu Simbel. Arriving at the great temple, we have time to explore its colossal facade and surroundings before enjoying your dinner.

DAY 7- Friday- Abu Simbel / Aswan / Luxor (B)
Get up early today to enjoy (on your own) the extraordinary vision of the temple of Abu Simbel at dawn, when the sacred sunlight penetrates deep into its holy of holies as its architect intended. The morning sun bathes the ruddy stone in golden light, providing perfect conditions for photography. We fly to Aswan, connect with our flight to Luxor, and drive to our hotel, afternoon tour of Karnak and Luxor temples.

DAY 8 – Saturday- Luxor (B)
After breakfast, we cross the Nile to ancient Thebes, capital of the Egyptian kingdom for almost 20 centuries. We visit the tombs of the pharaohs in the legendary Valley of the Kings, including the tomb of King Tutankhamon (Entrance fee included). Then we go on to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut in the Valley of the Queens, Deir El-Medinah, Medinet Habu and the Ramesseum. In the afternoon we enjoy a tour of Luxor Museum and then off to Karnak Sound and Light show.

In the evening, your guide will call on you for a horse drawn carriage ride through Luxor narrow streets and bazaars.

DAY 9 – Cairo / Alexandria – Sunday (BLD)
We take a short flight to Cairo and subject to flight schedule we may connect and fly on to Alexandria, or continue in your private air-conditioned vehicle from Cairo Airport with your private chauffeur and private guide on to Alexandria and your hotel. Lunch is included enroute or at your hotel. In the evening your guide will call on you for a walk downtown Alexandria and El-Raml district. Dinner is included at a local restaurant.

DAY 10 – Alexandria – Cairo – Monday (BLD)
Our full day includes Alexandria highlights: Kaytbey Fortress, where once the famous Alexandria Light House stood. The Roman Amphitheater, the Catacombs, The Greco Roman Museum & a brief stop at the site above the sunken Palace of Cleopatra. Lunch is included at a local restaurant, then it is on to the local souks and Zanket El Seta before we head back to Cairo and your hotel by by private air-conditioned vehicle or First Class air-conditioned express train. Dinner is included at your hotel.

DAY 11 – Cairo – Fayoum Oases – Home Hosted Dinner – Tuesday (BLD)
On Desert Safari for the Day – Fayoum Oases – And you thought the Pyramids were old!

The wilds of the desert begin right on the outskirts of Cairo, and continue for hundreds of miles to the east and west, through sands, rock, mountains, oases, and a surprising variety of scenery and inhabitants.

Join us for a day ranging across the desert like modern nomads. In place of camels, we’ll travel in comfortable, reliable four-by-four Toyota Land Cruisers. Your guide and drivers will meet you at your hotel, and soon you’ll leave bustling Cairo behind as you undertake the drive toward the Oasis of El Fayoum, 150 kilometers to the southwest. Hard as it is to believe, a great inland sea once covered these sands. It was a holy reserve of sacred crocodiles, symbolized by the god Sobek.

We’ll visit the temple of Kom Oshim, drive over ancient lake beds, and alongside the waters of today’s Fayoum Lake to reach the fishermen’s village of Chak Chouk. There we’ll stop for a lunch of fish caught fresh that morning. There will be time to wander the village lanes and discreetly watch the everyday activities of baking flatbread, irrigating crops from the lake’s waters, and bringing in the catch. We’ll also include the craft and pottery museum where the best works of local artisans are on display.

Then it’s into our four-by-fours again, for an off-road adventure! We’ll head alongside and across desert washes, between dunes, and over ancient lake beds for 35 kilometers to the Valley of the Whales (In Arabic: Wadi-El-Hitan). Incredibly, these great mammals once thrived – almost forty million years ago- in waters surrounded by sands. We’ll stop and gaze in amazement at their fossilized remains alongside smaller sea creatures that remain in stone. This valley was discovered in 1936, by the German geologist George Schweinfurth in the northwestern corner of Wadi El-Rayan.

The valley provides evidence of one of the major changes in this mammal evolution has been declared by the UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site. It is believed that these land based whales once had feet that may have helped them somewhat while ashore. A team from the University of Michigan discovered in the late 80’s that these Zeuglodon whales did have rudimentary feet, this was a startling discovery, suggesting that whales of Wadi -El-Hitan had recently started living in water as well These whales were not related to any of the whales we have today, rather a more slender body and may grow up to 75 feet long. Several skeletons of whales are exposed in the sand. George Schweinfurth named this extinct specie the Zeuglodon Isis Whales.

In the evening, you’ll return to your hotel in Cairo. Land transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser with the services of driver and English-speaking driver. Lunch is included.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals: This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo! You’ll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you’ll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they’re sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you’ll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, if you prefer, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions by letting us know your preferences. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town).

DAY 12 – Wednesday – Departure (B)
After breakfast at our hotel, we bid good-bye to magical Egypt as our staff escorts you to Cairo International Airport for your homeward flight.

Christmas/New Year’s (Dec 20 – Jan 5) & Easter weeks: 15% supplement to be added to any of the listed rates.

Rates include:

• All transfers in Egypt
• Guided sightseeing as per itinerary, including all entrance fees and the service of an English speaking guide
• Hotel and cruise accommodations as listed including tax, and service charges
• Domestic airfare within Egypt including tax.
• Pre-set menu meals including B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast), L = Lunch, D = Dinner.
• Bottled water delivered to your cabin daily while you are on board the cruise.
• Tea or Coffee with each / every meal while on board the cruise.
• VIP Meet & Greet Upon arrival at Cairo Airport?
  Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. will meet you with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports and then you claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you by private vehicle to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.

Not included:

• International airfares from/ to your home country
• Tips.
• Travel Insurance

Dining Room Reservations: Meet other passengers

Christmas/New Year’s (Dec 20 – Jan 5) & Easter weeks: 15% supplement to be added to any of the listed rates.

Please note that cabins on our Lake Nasser cruise vessels have two double beds; there are no triple-bedded cabins. A couple traveling with a child should plan to share the two double beds.

Boarding Aswan – A Grand 12-Day Tour

Vishal and Tin on their Honeymoon on a
Travel In Style Custom Tailored Honeymoon Vacation

This exceptional package includes Egypt in all its variety from the wonders of the Great Pyramids to a Nile cruise and even the unspoiled beaches of the Red Sea.

Your 1001 Egyptian Nights Tour includes the mighty temples at Abu Simbel, Denderah Temples, the opportunity to dive or snorkel, and a CAMEL CARAVAN to a Nubian Village in Nubia.

DAY 1 – CAIRO- Monday Weekly – Year Round
On arrival, our local representative will greet you at the airport and whisk you to your hotel. Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport.

VIP Meet & Greet Upon arrival at Cairo Airport
Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. will meet you with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports and then you claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you by private vehicle to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.

DAY 2 – CAIRO- Sailing on the Nile – Tuesday (BLD)
Today we see Cairo’s major sights: the Egyptian Museum, including the Mummies Room. We’ll continue to Royal Abdeen Palace of Egypt’s former Royal Family, on to the Church of Abu Sergha, and the Beni Ezra Synagogue. We’ll see where, according to the legend, Moses was found along the banks of the Nile. We’ll take our lunch at a local restaurant. Enjoy a 30 minute felucca sailing on the Nile to see Cairo from a different angle before we head back to your hotel. Evening dinner at Abu El Sid restaurant or similar. or La Bodega restaurant.

DAY 3 – DAHSOUR – Wednesday (BLD)
After breakfast, we’ll motor to the edge of Cairo, to the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza. The museum of the personal Royal Barge of the Mighty Pharaoh Cheops is built over the rectangular pit that housed the Royal Barge for thousands of years, the wooden boat readied for the king’s daily journey with the sun god, Ra. Discovered in 1954, in a completely dismantled state, the 43-metre (140-foot) cedar boat is a rare window on the Royal boats used by the kings of Ancient Egypt. Those who are fit and adventurous enough may wish to penetrate into the heart of the Great Pyramid, to the King’s Chamber. Your ticket is included with our compliments (or the interior of Kephren Pyramid). Taking a camel ride (included) is entirely your own choice!

Continue to Dahshour, the newly-opened pyramid field south of Cairo. We visit the great pyramid of Senfru, father of Cheops, and other structures.

The “Discovery” of Dahshour: For almost half a century, the great field of huge pyramids near the desert village of Dahshour, 25 miles south of Cairo, has been off limits to the public. Confined within the perimeter of a military base were many pyramids, including the great 4500-year-old pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops. Senfru’s pyramid, the largest in Egypt until his son built Giza’s Great Pyramid, is rhomboidal in shape: it tapers more distinctly on its upper half. All the pyramids were coated in thick plaster at one time. Most have lost these protective, decorative sheaths, but Senfru’s–miraculously–is still in place. Lunch is included at the Mena House. Evening dinner at Abu La Bodega restaurant or similar.

Bent Pyramid

DAY 4 – Aswan – Abu Simbel – Thursday (BLD)
An early morning flight to Aswan (or Luxor) and continue on to Abu Simbel, where your private guide, private air-conditioned vehicle await you. We’ll marvel at the temples dedicated to Ramses the Great and Queen Neferatri, saved from rising waters of the Nile when the High Dam was built. In the larger temple, colossal figures of Ramses are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters. The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. Lunch is included in Abu Simbel or Aswan. Fly back to Aswan and your hotel, overnight in Aswan. In the evening your guide will call on you for a horse-drawn carriage ride throughout Aswan souks and water front.

DAY 5 – ASWAN / NILE CRUISE – Friday – Board your cruise from Luxor or Aswan (BLD)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning tour of the Nubian Museum and on to the Nile Cruise in time for lunch. Today we tour the mighty Aswan dams, old and new, then board a motor launch to visit the Temples of Philae, moved to an island and saved from the rising waters of the Nile after building the High Dam, this Island temple of Philae was dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS.

The Mystery of Isis: Two millennia ago the Mediterranean world was enthralled by the mystery of Isis: “I, Isis, am all that has been, that is or shall be; no mortal man hath ever seen me unveiled.”

Called Aset by the ancient Egyptians, the goddess was a Madonna in the Mediterranean tradition that stretches far, far back to the primitive Mother Goddess from Anatolia, home to some of the oldest human communities on earth. Isis was the powerful and quick-witted protector of her son Horus, the Sun God. Ancient peoples throughout the Mediterranean regarded Isis and Horus as the perfect Madonna and Child. Another legend says she was also the mother of the fertility god Min who, judging from the depiction of him on temple walls, needed no help from Viagra!

Because of her wisdom and skill at protection, she was admired as a good magician capable of healing the sick and protecting the dead in their journey to the Underworld. Isis is portrayed regally, as a queen seated on a throne (which may be the meaning of her name), often holding her son Horus as a baby. Other images show her with broad, magnificent gilded wings able to protect the world.

Isis, the great Mother Goddess. Come explore her mystery in timeless Egypt when you Travel in Style!

In the evening we head out back to Philae for an evening Sound and Light show.

DAY 6 – KOM OMBO- On Board your Nile Cruise -Saturday (BLD)
Our Nile vessel cruises serenely down the Nile for a visit to the great twin-temple at Kom Ombo, dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile river god, and Haroeris, the solar disk.

DAY 7 – EDFU – Esna Temple Tour is Included – on Board Your Nile Cruise – LUXOR – Sunday (BLD)
We board horse-drawn carriages (or coaches) for the short ride through Edfu to the Temple of Horus, the best-preserved in Egypt. Our rate does include a private tour of Esna Temple, then on to Luxor where we dock for the night.

DAY 8 – On Board Your Nile Cruise LUXOR – Monday (BLD)
Today’s tour include a visit to the Valley of the Kings including Tut-Ank-Amon’s tomb. For guests who are interested: Please be our guests for a 10-15 minutes camel ride from the Valley of the Kings, you you’ll then change your mode of transportation and continue in your deluxe air-conditioned vehicle and on to the temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari and Colossi of Memnon.

Afterward, we’ll continue on Luxor’s west bank to get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers’ settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers’ paradise, we’ll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs. Followed by the Colossi of Memnon, before returning to Luxor, we tour the gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak.

DAY 9 – Disembarkation – Denderah Temple – Luxor – Tuesday (BL)
After breakfast, check out, then proceed to Denderah in a day excursion or by car, to visit the best preserved temple in Egypt. This temple as a sight to hold. Indiana Jones would have felt at home, with the massive stones and underground passages. We tour as well Abydos before we head back to Luxor (lunch box included).

DENDERAH IN A DAY: We’ll travel to Denderah to visit the Temple of Hathor, one of the best-preserved in all of Egypt, and also one of the most important. In the ancient beliefs, Hathor was the consort of the god of daylight, ruler of the west, and protector or the underworld. In the manner of wise desert wayfarers, we’ll leave before dawn to take advantage of cool temperatures. Our air-conditioned vehicle will take us through timeless Nile side villages, where life revolves around the irrigation and harvest of crops. Finally, we’ll reach the temple precincts. We’ll take note of the unusually deep tombs, and pass under the celebrated Zodiac, in a chapel dedicated to Osiris. (Denderah is the traditional site of his rebirth.) Our full day will also include a visit to Abydos, traditional home of Osiris, god of the underworld, and a stopping point on the journey of wayfaring souls. We’ll enjoy a box lunch with bottled water included, then its back to Luxor and your hotel. By sunset get ready for the transfer to Karnak for a spectacular sound & light show at Karnak temple.

DAY 10- Luxor – Cairo – Wednesday (B)
Transfers are always on a private basis, private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur. Fly back to Cairo, air fare is always included within Egypt, tax included. In Cairo, of course our local rep. will be waiting for your and escort you back to your hotel. The remainder of the day at leisure.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals: This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo! You’ll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you’ll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they’re sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you’ll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, if you prefer, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions by letting us know your preferences. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town).

DAY 11 – CAIRO – Thursday (cBLD)
The Culture of Cairo. Today we’ll explore deep into the heart of Cairo, and get to know its daily rhythms, its spirituality, its history, and its modern diversions. We’ll start early, with a visit to a local market, with an immense variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables on offer, both familiar and exotic.

You’ll see that shopping in Cairo goes far beyond a supermarket experience. Be prepared for whispers, gestures, shouting, and controlled chaos. It’s all part of the bargaining process, engaged in by women in traditional modest garb as well as others in Western dress.

Then it’s on to the Museum of Islamic Art, with its tapestries, textiles, swords and other objects exemplifying one of the world’s great decorative traditions. We’ll continue to the Gayer-Anderson House, a serene and classic domestic oasis, right down to its central fountain and exquisite furnishings. Our visit is also a journey into a vanished way of life—the residence is actually two traditional medieval Cairo houses restored by an English physician to a former king. We’ll stop for lunch at a restaurant where Cairenes go, then visit the Bab an-Nasr, the Gate of Victory in Cairo’s old walls. You’ll even see graffiti that survives from soldiers of Napoleon and of the British Empire, among the many who passed this way. Dinner at a local restaurant.

DAY 12 – Departure -Friday (cB)
Our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Bon Voyage!

DEPARTURE NOTES:

• For departures during Christmas, New Year’s or Easter weeks, please add 20 % to the rates above.
• Please note that the Nile vessels and cruise itineraries are subject to change.

YOUR TOUR INCLUDES:

• VIP Arrival Hall At Cairo Airport
  Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport (photos are not required) Visa will be issued for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens,You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. meets with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports, then you claim your luggage, after you clear the passport and customs formalities and exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room in Cairo upon arrival with our compliments
• Egyptian domestic airfares as described in the itinerary, economy class
• All airport transfers (private basis – private air-conditioned vehicle and private chauffeur).
• Hotel accommodations (including taxes).
• And set-menu (table d’hôte) meals as indicated in the itinerary above.
• Nile cruise with all shore excursions and meals.
• Complimentary welcome drink upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
• Complimentary welcome fruit basket on board the Nile Cruise.
• Large bottle of water (per person) delivered to you cabin daily while you are on board the Nile Cruise.
• Tea or coffee an bottled water with each / every meal while you are on board the Nile Cruise.
• Guided sightseeing by air-conditioned motor coach, including all admissions fees

Not included:

• Airport taxes
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance
• Personal expenses, including excess baggage or shipping charges, beverages, and personal charges in hotels for laundry, telephone, or other services
• Tips
• International airfare from /to your home country

A Grand 12-Day tour with airfare from USA

Nefertari playing Senet.
By Maler der Grabkammer der Nefertari [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

DAY 1 – CAIRO – Saturday- VIP Meet & Greet – Weekly – Year Round
On arrival, our local representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your comfortable hotel. Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport.

VIP Meet & Greet Upon arrival at Cairo Airport?
Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. will meet you with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports and then you claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you by private vehicle to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.

Sample Deluxe Hotels: Ramses Hilton, Cairo Sheraton, Sonesta, Cairo Marriott, Cairo Conrad, Semiramis InterContinental Hotel or similar.

DAY 2 – CAIRO- Sailing on the Nile – Sunday (BLD)
Today we see Cairo’s major sights: the Egyptian Museum, including the Mummies Room. We’ll continue to Royal Manial Palace of former Crown Prince Mohamed Ali (or Abdeen Palace Museum), on to the Coptic Museum, and the Church of Abu Sergha, and the Beni Ezra Synagogue. We’ll see where, according to the legend, Moses was found along the banks of the Nile by the Queen of the Nile and Pharaoh’s wife. We’ll take our lunch at a local restaurant. Enjoy a walking tour of the ancient Khan El Khalili Bazaar district, then a brief stop at El Rifai Mosque where the late Shah of Iran is buried, as well as King Farouk Egypt’s last king, before we head back to your hotel. Evening Whirling Dervishes performance at Wekalet El Ghouri. Dinner is included at La Bodega restaurant or similar.

DAY 3 – Giza Pyramids: DAHSOUR – HOME HOSTED MEAL – Monday (BL)
After breakfast, we’ll motor to the edge of Cairo, to the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza.

The museum of the Royal Barge of Cheops
The museum is built over the rectangular pit that housed the Royal Barge for thousands of years. The wooden boat was readied for the king’s daily journey with the sun god, Ra. Discovered in 1954, in a completely dismantled state, the 43-metre (140-foot) cedar boat is a rare window on the Royal boats used by the kings of Ancient Egypt.

Those who are fit and adventurous enough may wish to penetrate into the heart of the Great Pyramid, to the King’s Chamber. Your ticket is included with our compliments (or the interior of Kephren Pyramid). Taking a camel ride (included) is entirely your own choice!

Photo by upyernoz

Pyramid of Khafre with Camel & Man.

Continue to Dahshour, the newly-opened pyramid field south of Cairo. We visit the great pyramid of Senfru, father of Cheops, and other structures.

The “Discovery” of Dahshour:
For almost half a century, the great field of huge pyramids near the desert village of Dahshour, 25 miles south of Cairo, has been off limits to the public. Confined within the perimeter of a military base were many pyramids, including the great 4500-year-old pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops. Senfru’s pyramid, the largest in Egypt until his son built Giza’s Great Pyramid, is rhomboidal in shape: it tapers more distinctly on its upper half. All the pyramids were coated in thick plaster at one time. Most have lost these protective, decorative sheaths, but Senfru’s–miraculously–is still in place.

Lunch is included at a the Mena House.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals: This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo! You’ll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you’ll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they’re sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you’ll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, if you prefer, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions by letting us know your preferences. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town).

DAY 4 – The Red Sea resort of Sharm, Tuesday (BD)
Head for the airport and a short flight to Sharm El Sheikh on the Red Sea. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy this unique desert beach resort. Relax by the cerulean waters, take a camel ride at your option, and observe in the distance the steady line of ships heading to and from the Suez Canal.

Sunset Camel Caravan or on Horse Back: we go into the Sinai desert in a camel caravan. If you prefer to enjoy 2 hours of horse back riding, please let us know. The camel caravan is fully escorted and guided as well by local Bedouins through the desert and through the mountain passes of El Aat mountain. We stop at the highest point in the valley for a cup of tea with the Bedouin and take in the evening charm of the desert and nature before we head back to your hotel. Dinner is included at a local restaurant.

DAY 5 – Sharm El Sheikh – The Red Sea – Wednesday (BLD)
The Red Sea just off “Sharm” is replete with fascinating coral and aquatic species unique to this area. You’ll enjoy the morning on your own today exploring these wonders as you snorkel or scuba dive (for which proof of certification is a must), then join us for a half day tour to the Pharaoh’s Island, with lunch. Return to your hotel late afternoon.

Saladin’s Castle and Pharaoh’s Island
Just off the Sinai along the northern reaches of the Gulf of Aqaba lies one of the more curious and scenic locales in this part of the world.

The rulers of the Nile might once have held sway over these rocks and sand and water of Pharaoh’s Island (or Coral Island, or Geziret Faroun). More certain is that Crusaders established an outpost here, on the site of a onetime Phoenician port, and erected a castle in 1115 A.D. to protect pilgrims on the way to St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai wilderness. The island did double duty as a base from which to attack Arab traders, which led to its capture by Saladin (or Salah El-Din). The legendary Arab leader strengthened the fortifications, and his name remains attached to the castle. Later, it was a Mameluke and Ottoman outpost.

We’ll have a treasured half-day opportunity to board a boat to visit this rarely seen fortress island. We’ll motor northward from Sharm El Sheikh, following the rocky coast, passing Bedouin travelers on camels, and secluded beaches, with occasional sightings of desert foxes. At Dahab or Nuweiba, we’ll embark for our short crossing to the island.

Once ashore, we’ll wander through the precincts of the reconstructed castle, with its courtyard, storerooms, galleys, and dining rooms, and appreciate the natural harbor that made this such a coveted outpost. And we’ll take in the unusual offshore vista of the breathtaking azure waters of the Gulf, backdropped by the grandeur of the mountains of Sinai and a cloudless sky.

Then, at your option, you can don scuba or snorkeling gear for a close encounter with the world-famous underwater life of coastal Sinai: corals, reefs, and schools of fish in every gradation of the rainbow, before we return to our lodgings at Sharm El Sheikh.

Later in the day, you’ll have the option to accept our invitation to a complimentary oriental dance workshop, where you’ll discover that “belly dancing” is not just a spectacle, but an art form with a long tradition. Women will have an opportunity to practice the sinuous and graceful movements, while men will learn, perhaps unexpectedly, that they have a leading role.
Evening bedouin theme dinner.

DAY 6 – Sharm El Sheikh, Luxor – Queen Nefertari’s Restored Tomb. Our Guests Private Visit – Thursday (BL)
An early flight takes us to Luxor (or Aswan), along the Nile in fabled Upper Egypt, the flight is non-stop or via Cairo, land at Luxor Airport, where at the airport, our local rep. will be waiting for you with a sign in your name, from the airport we proceed to the West Bank:

Queen Nefertari’s Tomb (visit may be moved to another date based on the approved permit and time provided by the Egyptian Antiquity Authority). Long before Cleopatra humbled the ruler of Rome, an Egyptian queen held power over the heart and soul of Ramses, Egypt’s greatest pharaoh. In the 12th century BC, a broken-hearted Ramses built a grand funerary tomb for Queen Nefertari, “the Beautiful one,” in the Valley of the Queens. It’s been exquisitely restored with the aid of an American endowment, and is among the rarest sights in all Egypt: the only great tomb ever built by a pharaoh for his late queen. Artistically, it is the equivalent of Tutankhamon’s tomb. Because of its fragile nature, it is no longer open to the public, access is very limited to a few guests with permits, and ours is the only tour to visit it as part of a normal itinerary. Because of the limited access we must rise early for our flight and our visit, appropriate as Ramses named Nefertari “the one for whom the sun shines.”

The romantic story of Nefertari and Ramses is best told by the great temples at Abu Simbel (south of Aswan in Nubia). On one, Ramsis is seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters. The other is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. Nefertari thus precedes Cleopatra, Helen, Roxelana, and the Elizabeths of Russia and England as one of the world’s great queens. Your visit to Abu Simbel may be considered the highlight of your Egyptian adventure. As you fly over and along the shore of Lake Nasser, watching the sky lighten and the sacred sun rise above the horizon. We try to book early morning flights to reach the temple while the air is clean, clear and cool, and the sun’s light still golden—just right for photographs. We explore the huge temple, admire its ancient aura and artistry, then retire to a comfortable hotel for refreshments. In the larger temple, colossal figures of Ramsis are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters. The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow.

PLEASE NOTE: Abu Simbel Temples tour (when listed in any of our tour program) starts from Aswan not Luxor, we list the info as part of Queen Nefertari’s story here. At the end of the day, return to your hotel in Luxor, dinner is included at a charming local restaurant.

DAY 7 – LUXOR – Denderah the best preserved temple in Egypt – Friday (BLD)
After an early we drive inland to tour Denderah Temple, tour is in an air-conditioned vehicle, with a chauffeur of course as well as an English speaking guide / Egyptologist. Dendera Temple is among the best preserved in Egypt. This temple is a sight to behold. Indiana Jones would have felt at home among the massive stones and underground passages. We tour as well Abydos Temple complex before we head back to Luxor (lunch box is included, always with bottled water of course).

DENDERAH IN A DAY: We’ll travel to Denderah to visit the Temple of Hathor, one of the best-preserved in all of Egypt, and also one of the most important. In the ancient beliefs, Hathor was the consort of the god of daylight, ruler of the west, and protector or the underworld. In the manner of wise desert wayfarers, we’ll leave before dawn to take advantage of cool temperatures. Our air-conditioned vehicle will take us through timeless Nile side villages, where life revolves around the irrigation and harvest of crops. Finally, we’ll reach the temple precincts. We’ll take note of the unusually deep tombs, and pass under the celebrated Zodiac, in a chapel dedicated to Osiris. (Denderah is the traditional site of his rebirth.) Our full day will also include a visit to Abydos, traditional home of Osiris, god of the underworld, and a stopping point on the journey of wayfaring souls. We’ll enjoy a box lunch with bottled water included, then its back to Luxor and your hotel. By sunset get ready for the transfer to Karnak for a spectacular sound & light show at Karnak temple, after which return to your hotel for dinner (included at the hotel).

DAY 8 – VALLEY OF THE KINGS – Nile Cruise – Saturday (BLD)
After breakfast at the hotel, check-out. Proceed to explore the city that was the Pharaohs capital for 20 centuries. Start with Medinet Habu, the Ramesseum and the Ancient Workers Village at Deir El Medineh, the first known “Workers Village”. These were the true creative heroes who built the temples & tombs for the mighty Pharaohs of the Nile Kingdom.

Deir El Medinah is on Luxor’s west bank you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers’ settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers’ paradise, we’ll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs.

Today’s tour include as well a visit to the Valley of the Kings including Tut-Ank-Amon’s tomb, for guests who are interested: Please be our guests for a 10-15 minutes camel ride from the Valley of the Kings, you you’ll then change your mode of transportation and continue in your deluxe air-conditioned vehicle and on to the temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari, and Colossi of Memnon, returning to our Nile cruiser for lunch. Following lunch, we visit the great Temple of Luxor, and the gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, returning to our vessel in time for tea. Complimentary welcome fruit basket in your cabin. In the evening your guide will call on you for a horse drawn carriage ride throughout Luxor souks, bazaars and water front.

DAY 9 – ESNA – EDFU On Board Your Nile Cruise – Sunday (BLD)
We sail to Esna to go through the locks, while the boat is going through the locks, our guests will get to drive to Esna village by a Private air conditioned car/driver/guide Egyptologist for your private tour today of Esna Temple. The temple was buried for centuries and discovered in the late 1930’s. It is dedicated to the ancient Egyptian god Khnum and was buried and covered with about ten meters of earth with the village of Esna built on top which protected the temple below the ground. It is partially excavated to avoid collapsing the neighboring, more contemporary building above ground (Esna town). The Temple is smack in the middle of the town square, you ‘ll go thru a very lively tourist-oriented market, which fills a couple of streets leading inland from the corniche. The Temple was one of the stops among several pilgrimage points for the devout. Ritual: The Temple of Esna conveys a sense of the importance which the Ancient Egyptians placed upon their places of worship. All Egyptians who entered the confines of an Egyptian temple were required “to comply with the strict rules regarding ritual purity.”[9] According to inscriptions carved on the walls of the Temple of Esna, those who entered this temple were expected to fastidiously cut their fingernails and toenails, remove other body hair, wash their hands with natron (a natural occurring salt), “be dressed in linen (they were forbidden from wearing wool), and not to have had sexual intercourse for several days.”

We will tour Esna Temple while your cruise is going thru Esna Locks: Two barrage bridges straddle the Nile at this point: one built by the British in 1906, and the “Electricity Bridge” built in the 1990s..

Head back to your cruise and on to Edfu where we dock for the night. In the evening, we’ll celebrate in Egyptian style, dressed in galabias, the flowing national costume. A galabya will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments.

DAY 10 – KOM OMBO – ASWAN, CAMEL CARAVAN – on Board Your Nile Cruise – Monday (BLD)
We explore Kom Ombo’s twin Temples of Haroeris, the sun god, and Sobek, the crocodile god, before cruising south to Aswan. After lunch aboard, we board a graceful felucca for a cruise among the Nile islands. Then to really immerse yourself, try your hand at a complimentary camel riding! We’ll take willing passengers on a traditional caravan to enjoy tea with Nubian villagers. Only Travel In Style affords this unique opportunity to meet and interact with local Nubians. We are proud to offer this insight into the Nubian way of life. Back in your cabin: Complimentary Egyptian pastry & sweets platter. In the evening your guide will call on you for a horse-drawn carriage ride thorough Aswan souks and waterfront.

DAY 11 – ASWAN – ABU SIMBEL – CAIRO – Tuesday (B. Lunch Box.)
Breakfast and check-out. Lunch Box will be prepared by your chef on board, bottled water included.

The mighty Aswan dams are our first goal this morning, followed by a trip by motor launch to the Island temple of Philae, dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS.

The Mystery of Isis: Two millennia ago the Mediterranean world was enthralled by the mystery of Isis: “I, Isis, am all that has been, that is or shall be; no mortal man hath ever seen me unveiled.”

Called Aset by the ancient Egyptians, the goddess was a Madonna in the Mediterranean tradition that stretches far, far back to the primitive Mother Goddess from Anatolia, home to some of the oldest human communities on earth. Isis was the powerful and quick-witted protector of her son Horus, the Sun God. Ancient peoples throughout the Mediterranean regarded Isis and Horus as the perfect Madonna and Child. Another legend says she was also the mother of the fertility god Min who, judging from the depiction of him on temple walls, needed no help from Viagra!

Because of her wisdom and skill at protection, she was admired as a good magician capable of healing the sick and protecting the dead in their journey to the Underworld. Isis is portrayed regally, as a queen seated on a throne (which may be the meaning of her name), often holding her son Horus as a baby. Other images show her with broad, magnificent gilded wings able to protect the world.

Isis, the great Mother Goddess. Come explore her mystery in timeless Egypt when you Travel in Style!

Back on land, we visit an ancient Pharaonic red granite quarry, then Nubian Museum before we take a short flight to Abu Simbel. There your private guide, private chauffeur and private air-conditioned vehicle will be waiting for you: we’ll marvel at the temples dedicated to Ramses the Great and Queen Neferatri, saved from rising waters of the Nile when the High Dam was built,in the larger temple, colossal figures of Ramses are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters. The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. Fly back to Aswan and connect with our returning flight to Cairo and your hotel.

DAY 12 – Departure – Wednesday (B)
Our local rep. escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Bon Voyage!

If you prefer a boutique style hotel in Cairo, please click here for more details on “Le Riad” 17 suites hotel in the heart of old “Fatimid” Medieval Cairo, please let’s know your preference at the time of booking, as the hotel offers only 17 suites, it is always in high demand and space is subject to availability.

DEPARTURE NOTES:

• For departures during Christmas, New Year’s or Easter weeks, please add 20 % to the rates above.
• Please note that the Nile vessels and cruise itineraries are subject to change.

Upgrade to these ultra deluxe Nile cruise:

• Supplement: 20 % to be added to the Deluxe rate
• Mövenpick M/S Royal Lilly, M/S Royal Lotus, M/S Radamis II. The Sonesta M/S Star Goddess, Sonesta M/S Moon Goddess all cabins with private balconies

Hotel Choices

• Cairo Deluxe Hotels: Inter.continental.Cairo Marriott, Cairo Conrad. Sheraton. Ramses Hilton, or similar
• First Class Hotels: Cairo: Shepherds’ Hotel. Oases, Novotel El Borg or similar

Your Tour Includes:

• Egyptian domestic airfares as described in the itinerary, economy class, with tax included.
• All airport transfers and taxes in Egypt.
• Hotel accommodations (including taxes).
• And set-menu (table d’hôte) meals as indicated in the itinerary above.
• Nile cruise with all shore excursions and meals.
• Complimentary welcome drink upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
• Complimentary welcome fruit basket on board the Nile Cruise.
• Large bottle of water (per person) delivered to you cabin daily while you are on board the Nile Cruise.
• Tea or coffee and bottled water with each / every meal while you are on board the Nile Cruise.
• Guided sightseeing (including admissions fees) as described in the itinerary.
• Private guided touring in Egypt, except while on board the cruise, you are part of a 10-15 English speaking group.
• Meals as shown: (cB = continental breakfast; L = set-menu lunch; D = set-menu dinner)
• Hotel and Nile Cruise accommodations, including hotel tax and service charges
• Nile Cruise in Egypt including all meals and group tour for the shore executions you are part of a 10-15 English speaking group.
• Queen Nefertari’s Restored Tomb. Our Guests Private Visit
  Queen Nefertari’s Tomb – Long before Cleopatra humbled the ruler of Rome, an Egyptian queen held power over the heart and soul of Ramses, Egypt’s greatest pharaoh. In the 12th century BC, a broken-hearted Ramses built a grand funerary tomb for Queen Nefertari, “the Beautiful one,” in the Valley of the Queens.
• VIP Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
  Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport (photos are not required).
  Egyptian Visa will be issued for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens,You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. meets with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports, then you claim your luggage, after you clear the passport and customs formalities and exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room in Cairo upon arrival with our compliments

Not included:

• Tips.
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance.
• Air fare from / to your home country
• Personal expenses, including excess baggage or shipping charges, beverages, and personal charges in hotels for laundry, telephone, or other services

Tour Cairo and cruise the Nile like
a Pharaoh on a Deluxe Dahabiya
This is a Private Tour – All in 12 days

Khan el-Khalili is a souk-market in Old Cairo, Egypt.
By Joelsuganth (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

DAY 1: CAIRO – Thursday – Weekly in Cairo, year round
Our local representative will greet you at the airport and whisk you to your hotel. Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport.

VIP Meet & Greet Upon arrival at Cairo Airport
Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. The Airport VIP Service local representative will meet you with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports,  while you are enjoying your coffee at the VIP Lounge at the airport, the representative will be collecting your luggage, then walk you pass  the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, another local representative will escort you by private vehicle to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.

The Richmond Party Sonesta Luxury Yacht Dahabiya Cruise on the Nile. Photo by The Mighty Alan – aka Mighty Ra

DAY 2: CAIRO – Friday (BL)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum including the “Mummies Room”. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant: Naguib Mahfouz or one of the restaurant at Hadaik El-Azhar, on to the Citadel of Saladin, and Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster. Conclude your tour with a walking tour of Khan El – Khalili Bazaar district.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals: This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo! You’ll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you’ll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they’re sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you’ll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, if you prefer, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions by letting us know your preferences. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town).

Day 3: Saturday – Cairo to Luxor – Board Your Deluxe Air-Conditioned Dahabiya (BLD)
Very early morning breakfast and transfer to Cairo Airport. Flight is included in our rate, in business class, tax included. Morning arrival at Luxor Airport where our local rep. will be meeting you with a sign, and escort you to your deluxe air conditioned Nile cruise dahabiya or yacht. Boarding Luxor (or Aswan) always on Saturdays.

Embarkation in Luxor for a relaxing week sailing the Nile on a luxuriously appointed Dahabiya. After lunch, excursion to the West Bank for visits to the burial places of the Pharaohs – the Valley of the Kings – where Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922. Continue to the adjacent Valley of the Queens to tour Queen Hatshepsut’s unique terraced temple and the Colossi of Memnon.

Overnight moored on the Nile banks of Luxor. Sample Deluxe Dahabiya: Luxury Sonesta Dahabiya, Luxury Armonia Dahabiya or similar.

Day 4: Sunday – Luxor – On board your Dahabiya Yacht Nile Cruise (BLD)
You will visit the magnificent temple complex of Amon-Ra at Karnak, with its vast hypostyle hall of 137 columns, followed by the imposing 28th Dynasty Luxor Temple.

Our Tour includes as well: Medinet Habu, the Ramesseum and Deir El Medinah, the first known “Workers Village” these were the true creative heroes who built the temples and tombs for the mighty Pharaohs of the Nile Kingdom.

Deir El Medinah is on Luxor’s west bank you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers’ settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers’ paradise, we’ll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs.

Overnight moored in Luxor. In the evening your guide will call on you for a horse-drawn carriage ride throughout Luxor and the water front.

Day 5: Monday – Luxor to Esna – Sailing The Nile On board your Yacht Nile Cruise (BLD)
Today will be a leisurely day. After breakfast, commence sailing to Esna where your Dahabiya will moor. This evening you may wish to enjoy dinner in Egyptian style, dressed in galabias (A Galabia will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments). The galabia is the flowing national costume. While you are on board the cruise, afternoon tea will be served daily on deck.

The Richmond Party, Sonesta Luxury Yacht Dahabiya Cruise on the Nile. Photo by The Mighty Alan – aka Mighty Ra.

Day 6: Tuesday – Edfu – On board your Yacht Nile Cruise (BLD)
This morning you will sail to Edfu to visit the wonderfully preserved Temple of Edfu. Overnight on board as we will look for an island in the middle of the Nile where we moor.

Day 7: Wednesday – Kom Ombo – On board your Yacht Nile Cruise (BLD)
Today you will sail to Kom Ombo visit see the Ptolemaic temple dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus, god of the morning sun. Overnight moored beside a Nile island.

Day 8: Thursday – Aswan – On board your Yacht Nile Cruise (BLD)
A leisurely day sailing to Aswan where the dahabiya moors overnight. In the evening you ‘ll enjoy Sound and Light show at Philae Temple.

Day 9: Friday – Aswan – Philae Temple – Isis All that Has Been: On board your Yacht Nile Cruise (BLD)
Today you will visit the Aswan High Dam (completed in 1971); the Old Dam (completed in 1902) and the ‘ unfinished obelisk’, lying in situ since the days of the Pharaohs. You will also visit the Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, a structure rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser at the time of the High Dam’s construction.

The Island temple of Philae, dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS: The Mystery of Isis

Two millennia ago the Mediterranean world was enthralled by the mystery of Isis: “I, Isis, am all that has been, that is or shall be; no mortal man hath ever seen me unveiled.”

Called Aset by the ancient Egyptians, the goddess was a Madonna in the Mediterranean tradition that stretches far, far back to the primitive Mother Goddess from Anatolia, home to some of the oldest human communities on earth.

Isis was the powerful and quick-witted protector of her son Horus, the Sun God. Ancient peoples throughout the Mediterranean regarded Isis and Horus as the perfect Madonna and Child. Another legend says she was also the mother of the fertility god Min who, judging from the depiction of him on temple walls, needed no help from Viagra!

In the afternoon we’ll have the opportunity to experience Egypt at its most authentic, as we sail the Nile in a graceful Felucca, the age-old sailing vessel of the river to visit Elephantine Island and the Botanical Garden. In the evening our local guide will call on you once again for a horse-drawn carriage ride throughout Aswan and the local souks.

Day 10: Saturday – Aswan – Abu Simbel – Fly back to Cairo (Breakfast and lunch box)
Breakfast aboard the dahabiya and check-out. We bid farewell to the crew, we switch transportation modes and head for Aswan Airport and your flight back to Abu Simbel.

Breakfast aboard the dahabiya and check-out. Fly over Lake Nasser, watching the sky lighten and the sacred sun rise above the horizon. We reach the great temples where your “Private guide”, Private driver and Private air-conditioned vehicle await you.

In the larger temple, colossal figures of Ramses are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters. The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. We explore these fine temple, admiring their ancient aura and artistry, after which retire to a comfortable hotel for our lunch, and refreshments. Just as planeloads of visitors arrive to throng the temples we head for Abu Simbel Airport and fly back to Cairo, air fare is always included in economy class with all taxes. In Cairo, we’ll assist of course with your transfer to your hotel.

Visiting Abu Simbel. Photo by Diana and Maha.

Day 11: Sunday – Cairo (BL)
Today we drive to the edge of the Sahara and Giza: Tour includes the Sphinx, the Pyramids of Giza, complimentary short Camel ride is included, to allow you a photo opp with the Pyramids in the background. Time is limited, so please do not go for what the camel driver tries to convince you, i.e. go for a long ride around the Pyramids. Lunch is included at the Mena House, in the afternoon we press on to Memphis, Sakkara, touring the Serapeum, the Nobles Tombs, the small yet charming Imhotep Museum and the Step Pyramid. We return to your hotel late afternoon.

Later, you’ll have the option to accept our invitation to a complimentary oriental dance workshop, where you’ll discover that “belly dancing” is not just a spectacle, but an art form with a long tradition. Women will have an opportunity to practice the sinuous and graceful movements, while men will learn, perhaps unexpectedly, that they have a leading role.

DAY 12: CAIRO/ Departure – Monday (B)
After breakfast, our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight. Bon Voyage!

Rate Includes:

• Dahabiya Sailing in one of the categories listed as per your choice:
  • Ultra Deluxe: Sonesta Dahabiya Yacht Nile Cruise with all meals on board as listed, (or similar ultra deluxe dahabiyas based on availability at the time of booking).
  • Deluxe: Rihana Dahabiya, Yasmina or Haya Dahabiya.
• Dahabiya Nile cruise shore excursions with all the guided sightseeing including all entrance fees, all as per itinerary.
• Private Egyptologist and private car/driver for Cairo and Abu Simbel tours as listed including all entrance fees.
• All meals on board the DELUXE Felucca / Yacht / Dahabiya Nile cruise: Pre set meals as listed including B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast), L = Lunch, D = Dinner.
• Tea/ coffee and afternoon tea while on board the Deluxe Nile Cruise.
• All airfares within Egypt in Business class including tax as listed.
• Private air conditioned vehicle and private chauffeur for all transfers within Egypt.
• Hotel accommodation with tax & service charges.
• Accommodation in a private cabin: Double or single on board The Dahabiya /Yacht Nile Cruise.
• VIP Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
  Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. The Airport VIP Service representative meets you with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports, the local representative will  claim your luggage while you enjoy coffee at the VIP Lounge, then walk with  you pass the passport and customs formalities and exiting the terminal, another local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room in Cairo upon arrival with our compliments.

Rate Does Not Include:

• Tips.
• Travel Insurance
• International air fare from / to your home country.

• Suite Accommodation On Board Your Luxury Dahabiya: Sonesta Dahabiya or similar
• Private Guide – Private Air-Conditioned Vehicle – Private Chauffeur for all the Cruise Shore Excursions.
• The Four Seasons Hotel – Nile View room.
• Flying Business Class within Egypt: (Aswan -Abu Simbel flights (plane configuration) are only in economy class).

Peak Season: Easter (2 weeks), Christmas and New Year (2 weeks): Please add 20% to any of the listed rates

Ultra Deluxe Dahabiya:

• The Four Seasons Hotel – Nile View room. Flying Business Class within Egypt.
• Sonesta Dahabiya, Armonia Dahabiya or similar

Peak Season: Easter (2 weeks), Christmas and New Year (2 weeks): Please add 20% to any of the listed rates

Ultra Deluxe Dahabiya:

• Cairo Hotels: Cairo Marriott, JW Marriott, Cairo Conrad, Intercontinental Hotels in Cairo or similar
• Sonesta Dahabiya, Armonia Dahabiya or similar

Peak Season: Easter season (2 weeks), Christmas and New Year season (2 weeks): Please add: 20% to the listed rates.

Come to Egypt and enjoy your honeymoon or Anniversary cruise on the Ultra Deluxe Sonesta Dahabiya

Click here for the Sonesta Dahabiya details, combines comfort and beauty in a most inspiring way, promising a remarkable, rewarding cruise experience of legendary hospitality.